French actor Gerard Depardieu has been discovered responsible of sexually assaulting two girls – and handed an 18-month suspended sentence.
Depardieu, 76, was convicted by a courtroom in Paris of groping the ladies through the filming of the 2021 film Les Volets Verts (The Inexperienced Shutters).
He was additionally fined €29,040 (£24,412) and the courtroom requested that he’s registered within the nationwide intercourse offender database.
His lawyer Jeremie Assous mentioned the star, who denied assault and didn’t attend Tuesday’s listening to, will attraction the decision.
Each of his victims had been engaged on the movie in behind-the-scenes roles.
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‘Depardieu protected by movie business for many years’
They mentioned they had been scared to talk out on the time and intimidated by Depardieu. “I was petrified”, mentioned one of many girls, a set designer named Amelie.
She instructed the courtroom that Depardieu had trapped her between his legs as she tried to get previous him in a hall, and had then run his fingers over her physique. “He terrified me – he looked like a madman,” she mentioned.
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Amelie, a set designer assaulted by Depardieu, was relieved on the consequence. Pic: Reuters
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Depardieu’s lawyer Jeremie Assous mentioned the actor could be interesting the decision. Pic: AP
Depardieu had denied the allegations, and had acquired help from many actors, administrators and even at one level, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who had beforehand described the actor as “the pride of France”.
Nevertheless, his victims mentioned that he attacked them – first utilizing obscene, vulgar and specific language in the direction of the ladies earlier than sexually assaulting them.
The courtroom heard that the actor first used vulgar language to abuse them after which grabbed them and ran his fingers over their our bodies, making crude sexual advances in the direction of them.
Depardieu, who has appeared in additional than 200 motion pictures, claimed that he didn’t even know what sexual assault was.
However choose Thierry Donard mentioned Depardieu’s rationalization of occasions had been unconvincing and, at instances, contradictory.
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Gerard Depardieu arriving for his trial in March. Pic: Reuters
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Depardieu, pictured in March, claimed that he didn’t even know what sexual assault was. Pic: Reuters
Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, the lawyer representing sufferer Amelie, instructed the courtroom that Depardieu had particularly focused girls who didn’t get pleasure from a excessive profile, saying he would by no means deal with a well-known actor the best way he behaved in the direction of his two victims.
“He is strong with the weak, and weak with the strong,” she mentioned.
“Today we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema. I think that with this decision we can no longer say that he is not a sexual abuser. And today, as the Cannes Film Festival opens, I’d like the film world to spare a thought for Gerard Depardieu’s victims,” she added.
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Lawyer Carine Durrieu-Diebolt (proper), who represented Amelie (centre proper), requested individuals to think about Depardieu’s victims. Pic: AP.
Throughout cross-questioning, Depardieu admitted that he had first denied ever touching Amelie, then mentioned he grasped her hips to cease himself from falling over, after which claimed he had grabbed her to get her consideration.
Amelie described his account as “obviously completely false” and mentioned she had been mentally scarred by the encounter.
“These women were put in danger,” she mentioned. “This is about a line of offences that he committed over many years that were tolerated by the world of cinema because it was Gerard Depardieu.
“As a result of the monetary advantages he brings to the business are so substantial. He did make some glorious movies, however all males are equal earlier than the legislation.
“Nobody warned Amelie about Depardieu’s behaviour, so his words and actions came as a terrible surprise for her. She still has traumatic flashbacks.”
Depardieu’s fame is now in tatters, and there could also be extra allegations to return.
And we already know that Depardieu will stand trial once more later this yr, this time charged with raping the actress Charlotte Arnould.
Ms Arnould has accused Depardieu, a buddy of her dad and mom, of raping her at his mansion in Paris.
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Charlotte Arnould has accused Depardieu of rape. File pic: Reuters
When she returned to the home to confront him, she alleges that he raped her as soon as once more. Depardieu denies each allegations. If he had been to be discovered responsible, he would face a considerable jail sentence.
Depardieu’s sexual assault conviction is being seen as an necessary step ahead for France’s rising MeToo motion, which he described as “a terror” through the proceedings.
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Girls demonstrated outdoors the courtroom in March. Pic: Aurelien Morissard/AP
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Gerard Depardieu reacted as he appeared on the courthouse in March. Pic: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
After a letter of help Depardieu acquired previous to the trial from distinguished actors and administrators, a separate group of round 600 artists wrote their very own, condemning the tradition of “impunity” and calling for the actor to be totally investigated.
Emmanuelle Dancourt, president of MeToo Media, instructed me: “Depardieu is a man with a lot of money around him.
“Everyone may see Depardieu speaking badly to girls, placing his hand within the fallacious place on a lady’s physique and saying issues which might be fallacious.
“But Gerard Depardieu’s best friend is silence. In France, you have a wall of silence, and this means impunity. If you are a man with a lot of power and a lot of money, you can do whatever you want.”
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The star pictured in Cannes in 1997, arguably on the top of his profession. Pic: Reuters
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Former French President Jacques Chirac awards Depardieu the Legion d’honneur on the Elysee Palace in 1996. Pic: Reuters
Depardieu’s reputation has declined as increasingly claims emerged about his conduct.
A current documentary about him featured footage, filmed in North Korea, of the actor making lewd feedback as a younger woman rode previous on a horse.
When Mr Macron supplied his help to Depardieu, denouncing what he referred to as “a manhunt” in opposition to the star, one other French actor, James Bond star Lea Seydoux, mentioned the president’s phrases had given a “bad image” of France.
Depardieu was given Russian citizenship as a present by Vladimir Putin.
