Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault in landmark French trial

Actor Gerard Depardieu has arrived in Paris on March 24, 2025, to face trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two women on a movie set in 2021. The French court found Depardieu guilty of the assaults and sentenced the iconic actor to an 18-month suspended prison term. The judges stated that both women provided consistent and credible testimonies of being groped by Depardieu, supported by witness accounts. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Depardieu plans to appeal the verdict. The trial’s outcome is seen as a significant moment in France’s ongoing reckoning with the #MeToo movement and discussions on defining assault, especially in the film industry. The case, initially scheduled for late 2024, was postponed multiple times before the trial started in March 2025 and lasted four days. Prosecutors had requested the 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of up to €200,000 ($221,000).