French actor Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault and given 18-month suspended sentence

By SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press PARIS AP French movie star G rard Depardieu s fall from grace is now complete Depardieu further moved down from the pinnacle of French cinema Tuesday as he was exposed guilty of sexually assaulting two women on the set of a movie in which he starred in and given an -month suspended prison sentence He was also fined a total of around and the court requested that he be registered in the national sex offender database The actor has been convicted of having groped a -year-old set dresser and a -year-old assistant during the filming of Les Volets Verts The Green Shutters The occurrence was widely seen as a key post- MeToo test of how French society and its film industry address statements of sexual misconduct involving prominent figures Depardieu who has denied the accusations didn t attend the hearing in Paris Depardieu s lawyer J r mie Assous commented that his client would appeal the decision It is the conquest of two women but it is the win of all the women beyond this trial noted Carine Durrieu Diebolt the set dresser s lawyer In current times 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 in contemporary times as the Cannes Film Festival opens I d like the film world to spare a thought for G rard Depardieu s casualties Accused by more than women Depardieu s long and storied career he advised the court that he s made more than films has turned him into a French movie giant He was Oscar-nominated in for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac In contemporary years the actor has been accused publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than women but so far only the sexual assault affair has proceeded to court Various other cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence or the statute of limitations During the four-day trial in March Depardieu rejected the accusations saying he s not like that He acknowledged that he had used vulgar and sexualized language on the film set and that he grabbed the set dresser s hips during an argument but denied that his behavior was sexual The court composed of a panel of three judges concluded that Depardieu s explanations in court were unpersuasive and not credible and stressed both accusers constant reiterated and substantiated declarations The court also revealed that both plaintiffs have been faced with an aggressive defense strategy based on comments meant to offend them The judges therefore considered that Depardieu s lawyer comments in court aggravated the harm to the accusers and justified higher fines The two accusers testified in court The set dresser described the alleged assault saying the actor pincered her between his legs as she squeezed past him in a narrow corridor From left a plaintiff s lawyer Claude Vincent lawyer Catherine Le Magueresse a plaintiff a plaintiff s lawyer Carine Durrieu Diebolt speak with the media outside a Paris court after a verdict was delivered on accusations that French actor Gerard Depardieu sexually assaulted two women who were working on a film with him in in Paris Tuesday May AP Photo Thomas Padilla She declared he grabbed her hips then started palpating her behind and in front around She ran her hands near her buttocks hips and pubic area to show what she allegedly experienced She explained he then grabbed her chest The woman also testified that Depardieu used an obscene expression to ask her to touch his penis and suggested he requested to rape her She described the court that the actor s calm and cooperative attitude during the trial bore no resemblance to his behavior at work The other plaintiff an assistant noted that Depardieu groped her buttocks and her breasts during three separate incidents on the film set The Associated Press doesn t identify by name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to be named Neither women has done so in this situation I m very moved one of the plaintiffs the set dresser communicated reporters after the verdict I m very very much satisfied with the decision that s a achievement for me really and a big progress a step forward I feel justice was made Certain expressed backing for Depardieu Selected figures in the French cinema world have expressed their encouragement for Depardieu Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom French media stated last week that Depardieu was shooting a film directed by Ardant in the Azores archipelago in Portugal The actor may have to face other legal proceedings soon In actor Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her at his home That incident is still ongoing and in August prosecutors requested that it go to trial For more than a half-century Depardieu stood as a towering figure in French cinema a titan known for his commanding physical presence instinct sensibility and remarkable versatility A bon vivant who overcame a speech impediment and a turbulent youth Depardieu rose to prominence in the s and became one of France s largest part prolific and acclaimed actors portraying a vast array of characters from volatile outsiders to deeply introspective figures In latest years his behavior toward women has come under renewed scrutiny including after a documentary demonstrated him repeatedly making obscene remarks and gestures during a trip to North Korea Samuel Petrequin contributed to this analysis