French actor Depardieu arrives in court for sexual assault trial

PARIS — Actor Gerard Depardieu arrived in court in Paris on Monday for his trial over alleged sexual assaults on a film set, a case placing one of France's best-known movie stars at the heart of the country's broader reckoning over sexual violence.

A towering figure of French cinema, Depardieu has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years. Depardieu, 76, has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and this is the first case for which he would be standing trial.

The trial, expected to last up to three days, was initially due to be held in October but was postponed due to Depardieu's ill health.

Depardieu, his hand on his lawyer's shoulder, passed calmly past reporters, looking straight at the cameras without saying a word, before walking into the courtroom and chatting with a couple of actors present there.

His lawyer, Jeremie Assous, told reporters, that the accusations were false and based on lies.

"Truth is on our side," he said.

Prosecutors allege the assaults against two women—whose full identities have not been revealed—took place during the filming in 2021 of "Les Volets Verts" (The Green Shutters).

They accuse Depardieu of groping one of the women on the film set, pulling her towards him and trapping her with his legs before touching her waist, hips and breasts while saying obscene words. Three people witnessed the scene, prosecutors say.

They say the second woman was groped by Depardieu on set and in the street.

A lawyer for one of the women told Reuters ahead of the trial that her client had been scared to come forward against Depardieu.

"There's a fear, because he's a cinema giant," said Carine Durrieu-Diebolt. "It's a struggle between David and Goliath and they are afraid of retaliation as they all work in cinema but at a much lower level than Depardieu."

The lawyer for the second plaintiff did not reply to Reuters requests for comment.

If found guilty, Depardieu could face a sentence of up to five years in jail and a €75,000 ($81,200) fine.

Depardieu's trial is the highest-profile #MeToo case in the media industry to come before the courts in France.

Dozens of protesters stood outside the court, chanting "We believe you" to mark their support for the two plaintiffs. — Reuters