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French actor Gérard Depardieu finds himself at the center of a legal storm as he prepares to face trial in October for alleged sexual assaults against two women during the filming of a movie in 2021, prosecutors announced on Monday.
The 75-year-old actor, known for his iconic roles and larger-than-life persona, underwent questioning by Parisian authorities earlier on Monday before being released. His legal representative, Christian Saint-Palais, refrained from elaborating on the matter to reporters, simply confirming that Depardieu was no longer in custody.
In a statement issued by the Paris public prosecutor's office, it was revealed that Depardieu has been "summoned to appear before the criminal court" following the interrogation. The trial, slated to commence in October, pertains to "sexual assaults likely to have been committed in September 2021" against "two victims, on the set of the film 'The Green Shutters,'" the statement elucidated without disclosing the identities of the alleged victims. According to French newspaper Le Parisien, a 53-year-old movie decorator accused Depardieu of inappropriate physical contact during the filming of "The Green Shutters," as detailed in the complaint filed by her lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, with the Paris prosecutor's office in February.
In an open letter written last October, Depardieu vehemently denied the allegations, declaring, "I have never, ever abused a woman."
This isn't the first time Depardieu has faced such serious accusations; over a dozen other women have come forward with allegations of harassment, groping, or sexual assault against him. In 2020, he was preliminarily charged with rape and sexual assault following claims made by actor Charlotte Arnould.
Regarding the 2020 case, the investigating judge concluded the inquiry on April 17 and transferred the dossier to the Paris public prosecutor's office "for review and determination of next steps in the proceeding," as announced by the prosecutor's office on Monday.
Depardieu, once hailed as a national icon in France, has been an influential figure in French cinema, earning international acclaim for his roles in Hollywood and serving as a global ambassador for French film.
This latest development involving Depardieu unfolds against the backdrop of a wider reckoning within the French film industry prompted by actor Judith Godrèche's impassioned plea during the Cesar Awards ceremony in February, urging the industry to confront issues of sexual violence and abuse head-on.
