French actor Gérard Depardieu to face trial over sexual assault allegations in October

French actor Gérard Depardieu, 75, is set to face trial over allegations of sexual assault, Paris prosecutors have announced. Depardieu, one of the biggest stars of French cinema,was summoned to a Paris police station on Monday morning (Apr 29) for questioning regarding separate allegations brought by women who worked with him on film sets in 2014 and 2021.

According to broadcaster BFMTV, Depardieu was released from custody later the same day and denies the accusations, his lawyer stated. However, Paris prosecutors have confirmed that Depardieu will appear in court in October 2024 to face charges of sexual assault allegedly committed in September 2021 against two womenduring the filming of the movie Les volets verts (The Green Shutters).

"I confirm that following his custody... G. Depardieu has been issued a summons to appear before the criminal court," the Paris public prosecutor told the BBC. "He will be judged in October 2024 for sexual assaults allegedly committed in September 2021 against two victims, during the filming of the movie Les volets verts(The Green Shutters)."

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One of the women involved in the 2021 incident alleges that Depardieu assaulted her on the set of the film, which was released the following year. Her lawyer told BFMTV that the victim was "passing through a corridor where Mr. Depardieu was sitting. He grabbed her, trapped her between his legs, and touched her body up to her breasts. She felt completely powerless, incapable of escaping this trap."

This is not the first time Depardieu has faced such accusations. In 2020, he was charged with the rape of actor Charlotte Arnould when she was 22-years-old in 2018. The prosecutor's statement on Monday also revealed that Depardieu is under investigation for offences of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed in August 2018 against Arnould.

A separate case brought by actor Hélène Darras was dropped by prosecutors for being past the statute of limitations. Depardieu has been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women, but he denies any wrongdoing and claims that any relationships he has had were consensual.

Gérard Depardieu is a prominent figure in French and international cinema, having appeared in over 200 films and receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1990 film Cyrano de Bergerac.

(With inputs from agencies)