It was a landmark event for the #MeToo movement in France when Gérard Depardieu, one of the country’s top movie stars, was put on the sex offender register this week after being found guilty of sexually abusing two women in a 2021 movie.
“It was a message to all men in power that they are answerable to the courts and can be convicted,”
said Catherine Le Magueresse, who represented the European Association Against Violence Towards Women at Work (AVFT) at the trial.
“The message is: watch out, the impunity is over.”
The worship of the creative genius in France, which has been a major barrier to the French #MeToo movement, was epitomized for years by Depardieu, who has produced more than 200 films and TV shows. Depardieu was seen as impenetrable due to his immense acting skill and global recognition. French politics and film has been hesitant, if not delayed, to believe allegations of abuse.
The actor appeared to “not have understood the notion of consent nor the injurious consequences of his actions,” according to the court, which found Depardieu guilty of sexually assaulting the two women on the set of the movie Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters). While yelling profanities and labeling one of the ladies a “snitch” for raising her voice, Depardieu imprisoned, seized, and groped the women.
Feminists stated that eliminating sexism in the judicial system itself was now the top objective. The trial of Depardieu demonstrated how cruel French courts can be to victims of sexual assault. When 51 men were tried last year for the rape of Gisèle Pelicot after her husband drugged her unconscious, this was made very evident. Pelicot said that the defense attorneys “humiliated” her by inquiring as to whether the guys believed she was intoxicated or feigning sleep. Antoine Camus, her attorney, criticized the fact that “there is still discussion of whether you’re a ‘good’ victim” in French courts.
The judge went further in the Depardieu trial. He established a precedent by ruling that the two ladies in court needed to be paid for “secondary victimization” since Depardieu’s defense attorney, Jérémie Assous, had been so “excessively harsh” to them. A set decorator named Amélie described her encounter with Depardieu’s defense team as “hell.” The ladies had been taught by Assous that they were not really victims, but liars. He described the women’s attorneys as “abject and stupid” and histrionic.
Witnesses informed the court that Depardieu’s actions had been well-known for years. However, the actor had received the highest degree of political and cultural support in France. Actor Charlotte Rampling and singer Carla Bruni were among the 50 cultural and film leaders who signed the “Don’t Cancel Gérard Depardieu” petition in 2023.
The French president was Depardieu’s strongest supporter. Emmanuel Macron had pledged to fight violence against women and girls when he was elected in 2017, right after the #MeToo movement gained international attention due to allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Macron, however, backed Depardieu in 2023 when he was the subject of an official inquiry for rape in a different instance and also came under fire for sexist remarks made in a television program, claiming that “he makes France proud.” Macron implied that Depardieu was the victim of a “manhunt” when he was questioned at the time about depriving him of a state prize. Regarding Depardieu’s conviction, Macron has not yet responded.
Depardieu received an 18-month suspended jail term and will appeal his conviction. He rejected the accusations. Filmmaker Christophe Ruggia was sentenced to four years with two years suspended and two to be served with an electronic bracelet earlier this year for sexually abusing actress Adèle Haenel while she was between the ages of 12 and 15 in the early 2000s.
In France, legal cases might go slowly. In a different complaint filed by actor Charlotte Arnould, the Paris prosecutor’s office has asked that Depardieu stand trial for rape and sexual assault again, but no date has been set. Those accusations have been refuted by Depardieu. After several women came forward in what is regarded as one of the largest #MeToo instances in France, French TV presenter and newsreader Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, often known as PPDA, was officially under investigation for alleged rape. However, the lawsuit is dragging on. He refutes the accusations.
