By SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — A woman accusing French actor Gérard Depardieu of sexual assault told a landmark trial in Paris on Wednesday that he groped her buttocks and her breasts several times in three separate incidents on a film set.
Depardieu, 76, is accused of groping a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant during filming in 2021 of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”). He denies any sexual assault.
Day 3 of the Paris trial focused on the testimony of the younger plaintiff, who said Depardieu first groped her bottom when she was alone with him for a brief moment between the backstage area and the film set.
“Out of the blue, he put his hand on my butt,” she said, adding she was “under shock,” “petrified,” and said nothing.
In a second incident, she said Depardieu suddenly put both his hands on her breasts: “I said no, I was scared.”
She also described telling Depardieu “no” during a third similar incident.
The plaintiff said she reported the issue to her direct manager, who then alerted others in charge of the film production, prompting anger from the actor.
Depardieu repeatedly denied the allegations Wednesday in court, saying : “I’m not like that.”
“I think that maybe, I don’t know, she was wary because of my reputation of being vulgar, crude, rude,” Depardieu said. “But I’m not only that. I still respect people.”
The actor also told the court that he is almost always accompanied by aides on the film set, including his body guard, and suggested that he would rarely find himself alone with a film worker.
On Tuesday, Depardieu acknowledged that he had used vulgar and sexualized language with the set dresser who accused him of sexual assault. He said he grabbed her hips during an argument, but denied that his behavior was sexual.
The Associated Press doesn’t identify by name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to. Neither women has done so in this case.
The four-day trial was to continue Thursday, with the verdict expected at a later date.
The actor faces up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($81,000) if convicted.