PARIS (AP) — A lady accusing French actor Gérard Depardieu of sexual assault informed a landmark trial in Paris on Wednesday that he groped her buttocks and her breasts a number of occasions on a movie set. Three different accusers informed the courtroom they suffered comparable gestures in separate incidents.
Depardieu, 76, is accused of groping a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant throughout filming in 2021 of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”). He denies any sexual assault.
The third day of the trial targeted on the testimony of the youthful plaintiff, who detailed three separate incidents. She stated Depardieu first groped her backside when she was alone with him for a quick second as they have been heading in the direction of the movie set.
“Out of the blue, he put his hand on my butt,” she stated, including she stated nothing as a result of she was “under shock” and “petrified.”
In a second incident, she stated Depardieu instantly put each his arms on her breasts: “I said ‘No.’ I was scared.” She additionally described telling Depardieu “no” throughout a 3rd comparable incident.
JULIEN DE ROSA through Getty Pictures
The plaintiff stated she reported the difficulty to her direct supervisor, who then alerted others in control of the movie manufacturing, prompting anger from the actor.
She stated she then “minimized” the difficulty as a result of she wished to proceed to do her job, including she geared toward “handling it on her own, be strong.”
She later determined to file a proper grievance out of solidarity with the opposite plaintiff and since, she stated, “I want people to hear the truth.”
Depardieu repeatedly denied the allegations on Wednesday in courtroom, saying: “I’m not like that.”
“I think that maybe, I don’t know, she was wary because of my reputation of being vulgar, crude, rude,” Depardieu stated. “But I’m not only that. I still respect people.”
The actor additionally informed the courtroom that he’s virtually at all times accompanied by aides on the movie set, together with his physique guard, and advised that he would hardly ever discover himself alone with a movie employee.
The trial continues Thursday, with the decision anticipated at a later date.
The actor faces as much as 5 years in jail and a high quality of 75,000 euros ($81,000) if convicted.
BENOIT PEYRUCQ through Getty Pictures
A witness says she attended an alleged assault
On Tuesday, Depardieu acknowledged that he had used vulgar and sexualized language with the set dresser who accused him of sexual assault. He stated he grabbed her hips throughout an argument, however denied that his conduct was sexual.
A movie employee stated Wednesday she attended that scene, describing the set dresser as “stuck in-between the legs” of Depardieu.
“My brain bugged,” she stated, “I thought: it’s not possible that I’m actually seeing this.”
She stated she realized she attended “an aggression” and reported it to the movie administration. Days later, she requested the opposite plaintiff about Depardieu’s perspective, main her to element the opposite incidents.
The Related Press doesn’t establish by identify individuals who say they have been sexually assaulted until they consent to. Neither ladies has executed so on this case.
Three different accusers testify
Two ladies, a journalist and a former costume designer, testified that they have been sexually assaulted by Depardieu in 2007 and 2014 ― however one didn’t file a police grievance and the opposite alleged assault was coated by the statute of limitations.
A 3rd lady, comic Sarah Brooks, alleged that Depardieu put his hand inside her shorts and inside her pants as they have been posing for a photograph ten years in the past. She stated she pushed again his hand and “he did it again.”
She didn’t file a proper grievance as a result of she was 20 and felt she couldn’t converse up towards the world-famous actor. Brooks has lately publicly accused Depardieu of sexual assault.
Some expressed assist in the direction of Depardieu
This week’s trial is the primary time one of many greater than 20 accusations of misconduct towards Depardieu has reached courtroom. Some instances have been dropped due to a scarcity of proof or the statute of limitations.
Some figures within the French cinema world have expressed their assist in the direction of Depardieu.
French actor Fanny Ardant, who described herself as a longtime pal of the actor, agreed his phrases could also be impolite and vulgar, but stated she by no means attended any gesture she discovered “shocking.”
“What I want to say in this courtroom is that I know that the world has changed, that society has changed, that standards are no longer the same,” Ardant stated.
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“There are things we’ve tolerated that are no longer tolerable.”
