PARIS (AP) 鈥 French movie star G茅rard Depardieu was convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting two women on a set and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence in a case that was widely seen as a post-#MeToo test for the country’s film industry.
The 76-year-old Depardieu, one of the most prominent figures in French cinema for decades, must also pay both accusers a total of 29,040 euros (around $32,350) in fines, and the court ordered that his name be listed in the national sex offender database.
The of groping a 54-year-old woman responsible for decorating the set and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of 鈥淟es Volets Verts鈥 (鈥淭he Green Shutters鈥) in 2021.
A Paris court has found actor G茅rard Depardieu guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. He was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence. (AP video: Yesica Brumec/ Production: Catherine Gaschka / May 13, 2025)
Depardieu, who has denied the accusations, did not attend the hearing in Paris. His lawyer said that his client would appeal the decision.
Accuser praises the verdict
The case offered a fresh assessment of how French society and its filmmakers would handle sexual misconduct allegations against a top actor in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
One of the accusers, the set dresser, said she was 鈥渧ery much satisfied鈥 with the verdict.
鈥淚鈥檓 very moved,鈥 she told reporters. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a victory for me, really, and a big progress, a step forward. I feel justice was made.鈥
Her lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, said 鈥渋t is the victory of two women, and it is the victory of all women beyond this trial.”
鈥淭oday we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema,” Durrieu Diebolt said. “I think that with this decision, we can no longer say that he is not a sexual abuser. And today, as the , I鈥檇 like the film world to spare a thought for G茅rard Depardieu鈥檚 victims.”
A court in Paris has found actor G茅rard Depardieu guilty of having sexually assaulted two women on a film set in 2021. He was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence. (May 13, 2025 / AP Video)
A suspended sentence means that Depardieu does not have to go to prison unless he commits another offense. Suspended sentences are common in France for a wide range of crimes.
The court said it took into account Depardieu鈥檚 age, his poor health and his criminal record, which included one prior unrelated conviction, although the court offered no details.
Other misconduct allegations arose
Depardieu鈥檚 long and storied career 鈥 he told the court that he鈥檚 made more than 250 films 鈥 has turned him into a French movie giant. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1991 for his performance as the swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac.
In recent years, the actor has publicly or in formal complaints of misconduct by more than 20 women, but so far only the sexual assault case has proceeded to court. Some other cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence or an expired statute of limitations.
During the four-day trial in March, Depardieu rejected the accusations, saying he鈥檚 鈥渘ot like that.鈥 He acknowledged using vulgar and sexual language on the film set and that he during an argument, but denied that his behavior was sexual.
The court, composed of a panel of three judges, concluded that Depardieu鈥檚 explanations in court were 鈥渦npersuasive鈥 and 鈥渘ot credible” and stressed both accusers’ 鈥渃onstant, reiterated and substantiated declarations.鈥
The court also said that both plaintiffs have been faced with an 鈥渁ggressive鈥 defense strategy 鈥渂ased on comments meant to offend them.鈥 The judges therefore concluded that comments by Depardieu鈥檚 lawyer in court aggravated the harm to the accusers and justified higher fines.
Depardieu lawyer J茅r茅mie Assous regretted that the court 鈥渃onsidered that questioning the accusations is an additional assault ... which means that now the defense, even in this type of trial, is no longer accepted.”
The two accusers testified in court
The set dresser, whose duties could include choosing the furniture and paintings that will appear in a movie, said the actor used his legs as pincers to hold her as she squeezed past him in a narrow corridor.
She said he grabbed her hips then started groping her behind and 鈥渋n front, around.鈥 She ran her hands near her buttocks, hips and pubic area to show where she was touched. She said 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 wanted to rape her. She told the court that the actor鈥檚 calm and cooperative attitude during the trial bore no resemblance to his behavior at work.
The other plaintiff, an assistant, said Depardieu groped her buttocks and breasts during three separate incidents on the film set.
The Associated Press does not identify by name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to be named. Neither woman has done so in this case, although one has agreed to be pictured.
Some expressed support for Depardieu
Some figures in the French cinema world have expressed their support for Depardieu. Actors Vincent Perez and Fanny Ardant were among those who took seats on his side of the courtroom.
French media reported 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 2018, actor Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her at his home. That case is still active, and in August 2024 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 1970s and became one of France鈥檚 most prolific and acclaimed actors, portraying a vast array of characters, from volatile outsiders to deeply introspective figures.
In recent years, his behavior toward women has come under renewed scrutiny, including after a documentary showed him repeatedly making during a 2018 trip to North Korea.
Actor Juliette Binoche, who presides over the jury for , said Tuesday that Depardieu is 鈥渁pparently no longer sacred,鈥 adding 鈥渋t makes us reflect on the power some people have.鈥
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Associated Press journalists Samuel Petrequin, Catherine Gaschka and Yesica Brumec contributed to this report.
