Gérard Depardieu’s Legal Troubles: A Continued Saga

For years, acclaimed French actor Gérard Depardieu has faced serious allegations, including groping, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. Despite the gravity of these accusations, he has consistently denied any wrongdoing. On Monday, he was expected to appear before a Paris court to respond to the claims made by two recent accusers. However, he failed to attend the scheduled hearing.

His absence was attributed to health concerns, as conveyed by his lawyer, who presented medical notices from two doctors. These documents indicated that Depardieu is suffering from significant health issues, including a long-standing battle with diabetes that spans over 25 years and heart complications that required a quadruple bypass surgery. The doctors noted that his condition had deteriorated, exacerbated by anxiety related to the ongoing trial.

As a result of his nonappearance, the judge decided to postpone the trial, rescheduling it for March 24 and 25. Additionally, the court mandated that a medical examination be conducted on the actor, with the findings to be submitted by March 4.

Depardieu is facing two separate charges of sexual assault linked to incidents that allegedly occurred on the set of Les Volets Verts, or The Green Shutters, a film directed by Jean Becker that was released in 2022. The first accusation involves the actor allegedly pinning a set decorator between his legs and subsequently groping her, touching her buttocks, genitals, and breasts over her clothing while making lewd gestures and using vulgar language.

In the second case, he is accused of inappropriately touching an assistant director, having allegedly grabbed her buttocks twice and, on another occasion, groping her breasts. These allegations contribute to a troubling narrative that has surrounded the actor for years, and the upcoming trial will further examine these serious claims.