French Actor Gérard Depardieu Faces Assault Charges in Paris Court; Here's All You Need to Know About the Case

Gérard Depardieu stands trial in Paris over assault allegations by two women from 2021 during the filming of The Green Shutters. Read on to know the details.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 24, 2025 | 12:51 PM GMT | 8.2K

CC: Getty Images

Trigger Warning: Mention of sexual assault.

French cinema legend Gérard Depardieu will appear at a Paris courthouse on Monday when his trial on sexual assault charges begins. This is in relation to complaints during the making of The Green Shutters in 2021.

The Count of Monte Cristo actor's trial is set to hear allegations made by The Green Shutters' assistant director, 34, and set designer, 54, both of whom accuse the actor of assaulting them on set. Depardieu has consistently denied all charges, claiming his actions have been misinterpreted.

Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) released in 2022, is based on a 1950 novel by Georges Simenon. The movie also stars Anouk Grinberg and Fanny Ardant. While on the set of the movie, Depardieu allegedly trapped the set designer between his legs and groped and “kneaded her waist, stomach, going up her breasts”, per Mediapart. He has been accused of "violence, coercion, surprise, or threat."

Crew members were said to have come to her aid, urging her to lodge a formal complaint. The director of the film, Jean Becker, was also said to support her coming forward. While she is now out of the movie business — she said that she attempted to stay away from the actor, but he persisted in intimidating her with angry stares and grumbled insults during the rest of the shoot.

Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, the plaintiff's lawyer, stated as per CNN that her client is waiting for "judicial recognition, an official acknowledgment by the justice system that they were victims of sexual assaults."

Formerly celebrated all over the world for his appearances in Cyrano de Bergerac, Astérix & Obélix contre César, and Green Card, Gérard Depardieu's career has dissolved under increasing claims of misconduct — charges he has repeatedly denied. This trial represents the first instance in which he is formally accused of sexual assault in court.