Gerard Depardieu Denies All Accusations on Sexual Assault Trial: ‘I Am Not a Person Who Would Grope in the Metro’

variety.com:

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent On his second day at the Paris criminal court, French actor Gerard Depardieu denied accusations of sexual assault made by two women — a set decorator and an assistant director — who worked with him on the set of “The Green Shutters” in Southern France in 2021. “I am not a person who would grope in the metro,” said the 76-year-old actor while his attorney, Jeremy Assous, said his client was victim of a “conspiracy,” according to local outlet FrancetvInfo.

Based on the charges, Depardieu — long considered a mascot of France’s cinematic history who has starred in over 150 films, including classics such as Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” — risks five years of imprisonment and a fine of €75,000.

A set decorator on “The Green Shutters,” Amelie K. has accused Depardieu of having sexually assaulted and harassed her on Sept.

10, 2021, during filming. Amelie K. said she overheard Depardieu make several crude comments, and alleges that one day, as she walked past him sitting in a corridor, he grabbed her, pulled her toward him, blocked her with his legs and kneaded her on the waist, hips and chest, while making obscene comments.