A French court postpones Gérard Depardieu’s sex assault trial because of his health

PARIS (AP) — A criminal court in Paris on Monday postponed French actor Gérard Depardieu’s trial on charges of sexually assaulting two women on a film set because of concerns about his health, shifting the start of the proceedings to March. Depardieu, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threat” in the alleged sexual assaults that prosecutors say took place in 2021 on the set of “Les Volets verts” (”The Green Shutters.”) The court also ordered an expert to assess the 75-year-old actor’s health issues. Depardieu’s lawyer Jérémie Assous requested the postponement, saying that the actor has heart trouble and diabetes-related issues. Assous said that doctors decided the actor was not well enough to attend the proceedings even though he was eager to appear in court. “He is anxious to defend himself, because for over three years, a huge number of inaccuracies, false information and lies have been systematically disseminated and relayed,” Assous told The Associated Press. “Now, finally, we’re going to be able to have the word of the defense.”Prosecutors say that in both cases, women reported that the actor trapped them between his legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, chest and breasts over their clothes. Outside the courtroom, one of the plaintiffs, a 53-year-old production designer, said “it was extremely difficult to listen to all this violence,” after hearing Depardieu’s lawyer defending his client. “He questioned everything … There were a lot of lies, about almost everything actually.” The Associated Press doesn’t generally identify victims of sexual assault without their consent.France continues to reckon with sexual violence in the wake of the #MeToo movement that initially struggled to find traction, especially in the cinema industry. Depardieu “is a coward,” French actor Anouk Grinberg told the AP outside the courtroom. Grinberg, who played in ”The Green Shutters,” said she showed up to court “because I can’t take it anymore... And the impunity, it’s got to stop, society can’t allow it”. About 100 people gathered outside the court on Monday, some holding signs, responding to a call from several feminist groups to show support for victims of sexual violence. Some activists made their way into the courtroom and sat among other members of the general public attending the hearings. Blanche Sabbah, a women’s rights activist, said “we’re here even though Gérard Depardieu will not show up.” The plaintiffs “have shown up. They’re here and I am here to support them. That’s why all of these feminists are here.”