French Icon Gérard Depardieu Convicted for On-Set Groping, Faces Fines
Heads-up: French cinema just crossed a line as Gérard Depardieu gets convicted of sexual assault on a film set. The 76-year-old acting legend has been handed an 18-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay 29,040 euros (about $32,350) to two women who say he groped them on the set of Les Volets Verts in 2021. His name will also go into France’s national sex offender registry—a first for someone of his stature.
Depardieu, absent from Tuesday’s Paris hearing, plans to appeal. His lawyer argued that the actor’s vigorous denials and age-related health issues justified leniency. The court didn’t buy it. A three-judge panel called his explanations “unpersuasive” and “not credible,” underlining that both the 54-year-old set decorator and the 34-year-old assistant delivered “constant, reiterated and substantiated declarations.” Carine Durrieu Diebolt, representing the set decorator, called the ruling “a victory for all women” and urged the film industry—especially as the Cannes Film Festival kicks off—to reckon with this new era of accountability.
This case marks a watershed moment in France’s post-#MeToo reckoning. Depardieu, who boasts more than 250 film credits and an Oscar nomination for Cyrano de Bergerac, joins the ranks of top talents facing real consequences. Over 20 women have publicly accused him of misconduct in recent years, but this is the only case that survived statute-of-limitations hurdles and insufficient evidence. France’s penchant for suspended sentences glosses over many low-level offenses, yet the registry listing underscores how seriously the court views these allegations.
Behind the headlines, the trial revealed an “aggressive” defense strategy that judges said compounded the accusers’ harm. Depardieu admitted to using vulgar language on set and grabbing the set decorator’s hips during an on-set spat, but insisted there was no sexual intent. The judges disagreed, pointing to “comments meant to offend” and a troubling pattern of behavior. His prior criminal record, though unrelated, factored into the decision to include him in the sex offender database.
As Cannes rolls out the red carpet, the global film community can’t easily ignore this verdict. Will studios rethink collaborations? Can legends maintain untouchable status? Depardieu’s appeal could take months, if not years, to resolve, leaving an asterisk on his storied legacy. Meanwhile, the two accusers say they finally feel heard—and they’re not backing down.
Anyway, that’s the deal. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and Associated Press, HuffPost
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
