Renowned French actor Gérard Depardieu has been convicted of sexual assault by a Paris court, marking a pivotal moment in the French film industry's ongoing reckoning with sexual misconduct allegations.

The 76-year-old screen icon received an 18-month suspended jail sentence for assaulting two women during the filming of Les Volets Verts in 2021.

Depardieu, a towering figure in global cinema with a career spanning five decades, was found guilty of groping a set dresser and an assistant director on separate occasions.

The court ruled that both women—known as Amélie and “Sarah” (a pseudonym)—gave credible and consistent accounts of their experiences.

The actor, who has consistently denied the charges, did not attend the verdict hearing.

He was reportedly on a film set in the Azores, working with fellow actor and close friend Fanny Ardant.

The verdict comes amid growing scrutiny of high-profile figures in French cinema and coincides with the opening of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, underscoring the symbolic significance of the court’s decision.

A Pattern of Allegations

While this was Depardieu’s first criminal trial for sexual assault, he has been accused by several other women over the years—many of whom have come forward publicly in the media.

One outstanding rape case involving a French actress is still under judicial review and may proceed to trial.

The September 2021 incidents took place on the set of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters), a film about an ageing actor confronting the twilight of his career.

Amélie, a 54-year-old set decorator, told the court that Depardieu caught her between his legs and held her by the hips following a minor disagreement.

Sarah, a 34-year-old assistant director, alleged that the actor touched her buttocks and breasts through her clothes on three separate occasions.

The court ordered Depardieu to pay €1,000 each to the two women for “secondary victimisation,” a relatively new legal recognition in France that compensates victims for additional trauma endured during the trial process.

He was also added to France’s official list of registered sex offenders.

Legal Teams Clash Over Truth and Representation

Depardieu's legal team, led by Jérémie Assous, sharply contested the charges, claiming the women lied and accusing their lawyers of being more politically motivated than legally grounded.

In contrast, the prosecutor, Laurent Guy, emphasized that personal talent and public status are not shields from criminal responsibility.

“It is perfectly possible to be an excellent actor and a great father—and still commit a crime,” Guy said, urging the court to assess Depardieu as any other citizen, rather than as a cinematic icon.

Attorney Claude Vincent, who represented one of the plaintiffs, described Depardieu as a “case-study in sexism” and “a misogynist.”

Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, representing both victims, hailed the ruling as a watershed moment, not just for her clients but for the many other alleged victims of Depardieu and women in the broader film industry.

“This verdict is a victory for all women in cinema,” she said.

Industry Reactions and Future Prospects

While many have celebrated the ruling as a long-overdue correction in an industry plagued by abuse of power, others have continued to defend Depardieu.

Actress Brigitte Bardot, now 90, criticized the verdict in a television interview, expressing nostalgia for a bygone era and rejecting feminist arguments.

“Talented people who touch the buttocks of a girl are consigned to the deepest dungeon,” she said.

“Feminism isn’t my thing. Personally, I like men.”

Depardieu himself responded emotionally at the end of the trial, claiming his life had been “dragged through the mud by lies and insults.”

He thanked the court for the experience, remarking that it may one day inform a performance should he play a lawyer.

Although Depardieu said he had not acted in three years due to the allegations, reports indicate he recently resumed filming under director Fanny Ardant.

The film, set on a mysterious island, casts him as a magician—perhaps an ironic role, given the controversy surrounding him.