A seminal figure in French cinema, Depardieu, has been convicted of sexually assaulting two women.
Horny Old Douchebag Depardieu Gets Slapped With Sex Assault Conviction
French movie legend Gérard Depardieu got his comeuppance on May 13, 2025, when a Paris court found him guilty of feltin' up a pair of women on the set of Les Volets Verts ("The Green Shutters") in 2021. The 76-year-old creep received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and had to cough up €29,040 in fines. They even put his name on the sex offender register, the dirty dog.
His lawyers say they're gonna appeal the decision.
During the trial in March, a 54-year-old set dresser, who filed the complaint, and a 34-year-old assistant director, named as Sarah, painted a disturbing picture of Depardieu's grabby hands. The set dresser mentioned that his entourage of dresser, make-up artist, and bodyguard were missing while she was walking him to the set.
"We left the dressing rooms, it was dark and at the end of the street, he put his hand on my buttock. He slid it down quietly," she said. She claimed she got double-groped - on the buttocks and the breasts - and even said "no!"
Sarah said that Depardieu grabbed her, well, everywhere, during three separate incidents on the film set.
The verdict comes at the start of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Depardieu was awarded the best actor prize in 1990 for his work in Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s "Cyrano de Bergerac". Since then, he's been in a slew of films and international productions like Peter Weir's "Green Card" and Ang Lee's "Life of Pi".
Depardieu is the highest-profile figure to be ensnared in France's response to the #MeToo movement, with around 20 women accusing him of improper behavior. Although this is the first time he's faced court over sexual assault, he's under investigation for another case following a rape complaint from actress Charlotte Arnould. He denies all allegations.
Some background: The set dresser and assistant made headlines for their testimonies during the trial, with the lawyer for the set dresser referencing other victims under the statute of limitations and mentioning that four victims took the stand. It's unclear if the other two were official complainants. Depardieu's behavior has been under fire after a documentary showed him making disgusting comments during a 2018 trip to North Korea.
Industry folk have differing opinions on the verdict, with some defending Depardieu and others advocating for the support of victims and ending impunity for powerful figures in the film industry. Regardless, the verdict is seen as a significant milestone in the fight against sexual misconduct.
Depardieu maintains his innocence and plans to appeal the conviction. Let's see if the court of appeals feels differently about his grabby fingers.
- Despite facing several allegations of improper behavior, French film legend Gérard Depardieu, who was convicted of sexual assault during the trial of his film Les Volets Verts, plans to appeal the decision, asserting his innocence.
- The 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Depardieu was awarded the best actor prize in 1990, has welcomed a significant milestone in the fight against sexual misconduct, as Depardieu becomes the highest-profile figure to be ensnared in France's response to the #MeToo movement.
- International attention has focused on the French justice system as Depardieu, a celebrated figure in the entertainment industry, faces jail time for his actions, raising questions about the treatment of sexual assault cases and the accountability of celebrities in the face of such allegations.
