Post-MeToo France faces crucial test with Gérard Depardieu’s sexual assault trial

Gérard Depardieu, France’s most famous male actor, will face not just two women who accuse him of sexual assault but also a nation long criticised for ignoring abuse by powerful figures when his trial begins on Monday.

The 76-year-old actor is accused of assaulting a set dresser and an assistant director during the 2021 filming of Les Volets Verts (‘The Green Shutters’). While over 20 women have publicly accused Depardieu of sexual misconduct, this is the first case to make it to trial.

This landmark trial is seen as the most significant post-MeToo case in France, and it raises a key question: is the country, renowned for its culture of seduction, finally prepared to hold its cultural giants accountable?

Prosecutors say Depardieu trapped one of the women with his legs before groping her waist and breasts in front of witnesses. The 54-year-old set dresser described the actor’s behaviour in a 2021 interview with investigative outlet Mediapart, recalling how Depardieu shouted that he “couldn’t even get it up” due to the heat, before saying: “Come and touch my big parasol. I’ll stick it in your (nether regions).” She claimed he then grabbed her forcefully and had to be pulled away by bodyguards.

A second woman, a 34-year-old assistant director, alleged she was groped both on set and in the street. As is common in such cases, the plaintiffs’ identities have been kept confidential to protect the victims.

Depardieu has denied all accusations. In an open letter published in newspaper Le Figaro in October 2023, he firmly stated: “Never, but never, have I abused a woman. To think that I have hurt someone or made them feel uncomfortable is intolerable to me.” He added, “I have only ever been guilty of being too loving, too generous, or