French actor Gerard Depardieu will appear in court on March 24 on charges of sexual harassment against two women on set in 2021. About this informs Reuters.
One of the women reported harassment while working on the film “Green Shutters”, where she was a set designer. According to her, one day Depardieu, sitting in the corridor on the set, grabbed her by the legs and squeezed her between his thighs. He touched her waist, breasts and buttocks and said he was “going to stick my big umbrella in her”. According to the prosecutor’s office, the incident happened in front of three witnesses.
Another complaint came from the director’s assistant, who told about a similar incident. According to the investigation, Depardieu clung to the second woman both on the set and on the street. The names of the victims have not been released.
Depardieu’s lawyer, Jeremy Asus, said the case was based on “false allegations” against his client. He also noted that the actor will appear in person at the two-day court hearing after the previous hearing was postponed due to Depardieu’s ill health.
In total, more than 20 women have accused the actor of serious offenses, including rape. In a number of cases, the statute of limitations has already expired. The most serious case will be considered separately — the young actress Charlotte Arnault accuses Depardieu of rape at his villa in Paris in 2018.
