Tue Mar 25 15:25:25 UTC 2025: ## French Icon Depardieu on Trial for Sexual Assault; Denies Charges, Admits to Grabbing Accuser
**PARIS** – Celebrated French actor Gerard Depardieu is on trial in Paris, facing accusations of sexual assault stemming from a 2021 film set. While admitting to grabbing the hips of the plaintiff, set decorator Amelie K, Depardieu vehemently denies the charges, claiming his actions were due to fatigue and frustration with her work, not sexual assault.
Testifying in court, Depardieu stated he grabbed Amelie K’s hips to prevent himself from falling, explaining he was upset, tired, and the heat was excessive. He attributed any crude comments made to his bad mood and denied they were directed at her personally. He also contested the plaintiff’s account of him trapping her between his legs, citing his weight at the time as making this physically impossible.
However, Amelie K gave a starkly different account. She testified that Depardieu repeatedly groped her all over her body, trapped her between his legs, and made explicit sexual comments, leaving her terrified. She stated that his comments were not about her work but were sexually explicit. Another woman, a 34-year-old assistant director, has also accused Depardieu of sexual assault on the same set and in the street. A prominent actor who also worked on the film, Anouk Grinberg, has publicly supported both plaintiffs.
Prosecutors have presented a similar account to Amelie K’s testimony, stating the incidents were witnessed by multiple people. Depardieu’s lawyer, Jeremie Assous, maintains the accusations are false and alleges bias within the investigation. This trial marks the highest-profile #MeToo case in the French media industry to date. If found guilty, Depardieu faces up to five years in prison and a significant fine. The trial continues.
First Piper 