French court postpones Gerard Depardieu’s sex assault trial over health concerns

A criminal court in Paris decided on Monday to postpone the sex assault trial of French actor Gerard Depardieu because of his health concerns, shifting the start of the proceedings to March next year.

Depardieu is facing trial over the alleged sexual assault of two women on a film set in 2021.

Depardieu, who previously has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threat” in the alleged assault, which prosecutors said took place on the set of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).

Lawyer Jeremie Assous earlier said doctors say the actor’s health issues would not allow him to appear for the opening of the trial on Monday.

Depardieu “is deeply affected and unfortunately his doctors don’t allow him to appear at the hearing”, Mr Assous told France Info radio.

The lawyer said he would ask the court for the postponement of the trial because his client “wishes to come, wants to express himself”.

Prosecutors say that in both cases, victims reported that the 75-year-old actor trapped them between his legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, chest and breasts over their clothes.

The trial comes as France continues to reckon with sexual violence in the wake of the #MeToo movement that struggled to find traction, especially in the cinema industry.

One of the victims has been identified as a 53-year-old production designer. The Associated Press (AP) does not generally identify victims of sexual assault without their consent. Her lawyer did not respond to an AP email on that matter.

According to Paris prosecutors, the woman told investigators that she had first heard sexual remarks from Depardieu and then one day, as she walked past him, he had “grabbed her, attracted her towards him, blocked her with his legs, and groped her waist, hips and chest, accompanying her gestures with obscene remarks”.

Three people witnessed it, prosecutors said, confirming that the woman attempted to break off Depardieu’s grip and that she seemed “shocked”.

A psychiatrist examination granted her a seven-day leave.

After the incident, it was arranged for Depardieu to apologise. But in a TV interview aired on Saturday, she said the actor was furious and blamed her for causing trouble. Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed that what Depardieu had said did not constitute an apology.

In the interview with French online news site Mediapart, the production designer — who spoke on camera but only gave her first name — said the alleged assault had taken a toll on her personal and professional life for at least one-and-a-half years. She said she could not sleep well, suffered anxiety attacks and lost weight.

The woman, according to prosecutors, said it had taken her a while to file a complaint but decided to do so after hearing on television that there had never been an incident during the shoot.

The month before the alleged assault, another woman also working on the film’s set had complained about Depardieu, Paris prosecutors said.

A director’s assistant told investigators Depardieu had touched her buttocks on several occasions. She had expressed her disapproval and in return, Depardieu, she said, had been insulting towards her.

She was also given a six-day leave by a psychiatrist.

Jeremie Assous, a lawyer for Depardieu, told the AP in an email on Saturday that “the witnesses and evidence (Depardieu) will produce will demonstrate that he is the target of false accusations”.

It is not clear when the court will rule.

Despite the allegations against Depardieu, many have come out in his support, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Late last year, 56 French performers, writers and producers published an essay defending the film star, saying that when “Gerard Depardieu is targeted this way, it is the art (of cinema) that is being attacked.”

Their call came just weeks after national broadcaster France 2 put out a documentary outlining accusations of sexual misconduct by 16 women against Depardieu, and showed the actor making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea.

In the footage, Depardieu can be seen making groaning sounds and sexual comments in front of women, including a girl about 10 years old who is horse riding. He can also be seen posing for a photo, saying he was “touching the bottom” of a North Korean interpreter by his side.

He was charged in 2021 with rape and sexual assault after authorities revived a 2018 investigation that was initially dropped, following allegations from actor Charlotte Arnould.

In an open letter published in the conservative-leaning newspaper Le Figaro, Depardieu said last year: “I have never, ever abused a woman.”