World Courant
Gerard Depardieu has requested for a postponement of the beginning of his sexual abuse trial, which was as a consequence of begin in Paris on Monday. His lawyer requested for a delay, citing the star’s well being issues.
The French actor is accused of assaulting two girls throughout the filming of the 2021 movie Les Volets Verts (The Inexperienced Shutters), in essentially the most outstanding #MeToo case to hit the nation.
Prosecutors say he made specific sexual feedback to 2 members of the movie’s manufacturing group after which aggressively “groped” them. If convicted, he might face 5 years in jail.
The 75-year-old denies the allegations and says in an open letter printed final 12 months that he has by no means “abused a lady”.
The proceedings have been as a consequence of begin at round 1:30 pm native time at a prison court docket within the French capital. However his lawyer, Jeremy Assous, instructed French media that the actor had been “deeply affected” by sickness and that his docs had suggested him to not attend the trial.
Assous added that his consumer had requested for a postponement as a result of he “desires to come back, categorical himself” in court docket.
The trial marks an vital second for France’s #MeToo motion, with Depardieu turning into essentially the most outstanding determine in French cinema to be accused of sexual assault. The ladies – who are usually not named – say Depardieu made sexual feedback to them. They are saying he additionally ‘forcibly grabbed’ and ‘groped’ them.
Depardieu’s lawyer has accused the ladies of “false accusations”. He additionally claimed that one of many girls tried to “earn cash” by demanding 30,000 euros in compensation, Le Monde reported.
For the reason that allegations got here to gentle, Depardieu has turn out to be a digital pariah. He has not appeared in a movie since 2022 and subsequent 12 months he will probably be tried for a second time on costs of twice raping actress Charlotte Arnould at his Paris residence. He denies the accusations.
Depardieu has additionally been accused of sexual assault by greater than a dozen different girls.
Regardless of the mounting accusations, the star has obtained sturdy messages of help from some members of the French creative neighborhood. A bunch of greater than 50 actors, administrators and producers stated in a letter printed final 12 months that the accusations in opposition to Depardieu have been “an assault on artwork itself”.
Signed by actors Charlotte Rampling, Carole Bouquet, Pierre Richard and singers Carla Bruni and Jacques Dutronc, the letter stated they “couldn’t stay silent within the face of the lynching that fell on (Depardieu)”.
French President Emmanuel Macron additionally sparked anger after he described the actor final 12 months as ‘the satisfaction of France’. Macron added that Depardieu was being subjected to a “manhunt”. Campaigners stated the feedback undermined efforts to guard girls from violence.
Actress Léa Seydoux known as Macron’s feedback “loopy” and added that it “provides a really unhealthy picture for France.”
Regardless of Macron’s present of help, his then tradition minister, Rima Abdul-Malak, stated she would contemplate revoking Depardieu’s Legion d’Honneur after footage emerged of him making sexual feedback round girls in a 2018 documentary filmed in North Korea.
Gerard Depardieu asks for postponement of sexual abuse trial
World Information,Subsequent Large Factor in Public Knowledg
