Woman alleges in court Gérard Depardieu groped her on film set
As French actor Gérard Depardieu‘s sexual assault continues in Paris, a woman told a Parisian court on March 26th that he groped her buttocks and breast while on a film set.
Depardieu, who denies the allegations of sexual assault, has been accused of groping a set dresser and an assistant on the movie Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) when they filmed the production in 2021.
On the third day of the trial, the assistant, aged 34, made a series of allegations against Depardieu which she alleges took place over the course of three separate incidents while the movie was shot. The first incident allegedly took place when they were alone in a secluded area between the backstage section and the set.
“Out of the blue, he put his hand on my butt,” the woman told the court, according to The Guardian. She claims this left her in a state of shock and feeling “petrified” which is why she said nothing at the time.
In the second accident, Depardieu allegedly placed both of his hands on her breasts and she responded by saying, “I said no; I was scared.” The third incident reportedly played out in a similar manner with the woman telling Depardieu “no”.
The woman stated that she told her direct manager about the alleged incidents, who then informed those in charge of the production, which reportedly elicited an angry response from Depardieu.
In response to the woman’s appearance in court, Depardieu denied the allegations and told those in the courtroom, “I’m not like that.”
He added: “I think that maybe, I don’t know, she was wary because of my reputation of being vulgar, crude, rude. But I’m not only that. I still respect people.”
The fourth and final day of the trial will continue on March 27th, and the verdict will be given at a later date. If found guilty, the actor could face a five-year prison sentence and a fine of €75,000 (£63,000).
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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