Gérard Depardieu in police custody over sexual assault claims

29 April, 2024

Gerard Depardieu

Gérard Depardieu has been taken into police custody regarding two allegations of sexual assault.

The French actor, known for starring in Jean de Florette and Cyrano de Bergerac, was summoned for questioning by French police today (April 29) regarding allegations from two separate women dating from 2014 and 2021.

Depardieu is yet to comment on the allegations, though has previously denied other accusations of sexual assault.

The 2021 complaint that the actor is being questioned about was filed earlier this year, with the woman – a set designer – claiming that Depardieu assaulted her while working on 2022’s Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).

Gerard Depardieu
French actor Gerard Depardieu gives a speech upon receiving a career achievement award at the El Gouna Film Festival in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of el Gouna on October 23, 2020. CREDIT: Getty/AMMAR ABD RABBO/El Gouna Film Festival/AFP

According to her lawyer, the actor was “passing through a corridor where Mr Depardieu was sitting” when he “grabbed her, trapped her between his legs and touched her body up to her breasts” (via BFMTV and BBC News).

“She felt completely powerless, incapable of escaping this trap,” they added.

The second woman, who filed a police complaint earlier this year, claimed that while she was working as an assistant on 2015’s Le Magician et le Siamois (The Magician and the Siamese), Depardieu grabbed her body all over and made “inappropriate” comments.

Depardieu was placed under formal investigation over the alleged rape and sexual assault of actor Charlotte Arnould in 2020, with the case remaining open. He has been accused of sexual assault by many other women.

A complaint brought forward last year by actor Hélène Darras, in which she claimed the actor groped and propositioned her in 2007, has been dropped due to passing the statute of limitations.

Depardieu strongly denied allegations last year, saying in an open letter to French newspaper Le Figaro: “Never, ever have I abused a woman,” while also claiming he was the victim of a “media court”.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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