Actor Gérard Depardieu will appear in court in Paris on sexual assault charges

Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — French actor Gérard Depardieu is expected to appear before a criminal court in Paris over the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021. Depardieu, long seen as a national icon in France, is accused of having committed sexual assaults “with violence, coercion, surprise or threat.” He is expected in court on Monday and has previously denied any wrongdoing. French prosecutors say victims reported that the 75 year-old actor had trapped them between his legs and groped them. The trial comes as France continues to reckon with sexual violence in the wake of the #MeToo movement.