Gerard Depardieu’s sexual assault trial to begin in Paris

Gerard Depardieu will go on trial in Paris on Monday, where the French actor will face two sexual assault allegations in the country’s highest-profile #MeToo case.

Depardieu is accused of attacking women during the filming of the 2021 movie Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).

Prosecutors said the actor made explicit sexual remarks to two members of the film’s production crew and was then aggressively “groped.” If convicted, he could face five years in prison.

The 75-year-old man denies the accusations and said in an open letter published last year that he had never “harassed a woman”. His lawyer asked for the hearing to be postponed early Monday, citing the actor’s health problems.

“Gerard Depardieu is extremely affected and unfortunately his doctors have prohibited him from attending the hearing, so he will ask for an adjournment to a later date so that he can attend the hearing,” Jeremie Assous told local media.

The trial marks an important moment for France’s #MeToo movement; Depardieu became the highest-profile figure in French cinema to face accusations of sexual assault. Unnamed women say Depardieu made sexual comments to them. They also say he “violently grabbed” and “groped” them.

Depardieu’s lawyer accused the women of “false accusations”. He also claimed one of the women was trying to “make money” by demanding €30,000 ($32,500; £25,000) in damages, Le Monde reported.

Since the allegations emerged, Depardieu has become something of a pariah. The actor, who has not appeared in a film since 2022, faces a second trial next year on charges of raping actress Charlotte Arnould twice at her Paris home. He denies the allegations.

Depardieu has also been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women.

Despite the mounting allegations, the star received strong messages of support from some members of the French artistic community. A group of more than 50 actors, directors and producers said in a letter published last year that the accusations against Depardieu were “an attack on art itself”.

The letter, signed by actors Charlotte Rampling, Carole Bouquet, Pierre Richard and singers Carla Bruni and Jacques Dutronc, stated that “they cannot remain silent in the face of the lynching (Depardieu) that has fallen upon them.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also sparked anger last year when he described the actor as “the pride of France”. Macron added that Depardieu was being subjected to a “manhunt”. Campaigners said the comments undermined efforts to protect women from violence.

Actress Léa Seydoux called Macron’s comments “crazy” and added that it “creates a very bad image for France.”

Despite Macron’s show of support, then-culture minister Rima Abdul-Malak said she would consider withdrawing Depardieu’s Legion d’Honneur award after footage emerged of him making sexual comments around women in a 2018 documentary shot in North Korea.