Gerard Depardieu guilty of sexual assault in France
A French court has found actor Gerard Depardieu guilty of sexually assaulting two women who accused him. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended, according to the BBC.
He was accused of sexual assault against two women during the filming of the movie "Green Shutters" in 2021. According to the court, the artist who accused him gave consistent testimony about the incident during the trial, while Depardieu's statements varied.
The actor was also found guilty of assaulting an assistant director.
Gerard Depardieu did not admit guilt. The actor was not present at the sentencing, as he is currently filming in the Azores. His lawyer stated that his client will appeal the sentence.
Earlier, Depardieu had denied his actions were violent. According to him, the crude comments he made were due to his bad mood.
This is the first case against Depardieu to reach court, although a total of around 20 women have accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of one and a half years in prison, suspended, and a €20,000 fine for the 76-year-old Depardieu.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
