French film star Gerard Depardieu has been defended by former co-star Fanny Ardant as he stands trial on allegations of sexual assault, which he denies
One of the most celebrated leading ladies of French cinema today has stuck up for Gerard Depardieu as the actor is accused of sex assault.
The 76-year-old star has denied all the charges made against him as he appears in court this week. However, if he is convicted, the actor could face a prison sentence of up to five years. Now, Fanny Ardant, 76, has came to his defence as said: “I know you can say no to Gérard”. Ardant, was speaking on the third day of her former co-star’s criminal trial for alleging abusing two women.
Depardieu is accused of attacking an assistant and a set designer. Both plaintiffs say they they were repeatedly sexually assaulted by Depardieu during the filming of The Green Shutters (Les Volets Verts) in 2021.
However, speaking to the court on Wednesday, Ardant said: “I, Fanny Ardant, have never seen a gesture that I found shocking.”
The pair starred together in François Truffaut’s 1981 romance titled The Woman Next Door (La Femme d’à côté). It was one of the most successful films of the era.
Describing Depardieu, as ‘my lifelong friend,’ Ardant added: ‘I’m a woman, I’ve known things like that [sexual assault]. I’ve given out slaps, I’ve fought, but I never saw him [Depardieu] do anything out of line.’
She claimed she was determined to speak up for him, because others were ‘too scared to do so, for fear of losing a job, of not being able to make any more films.”
She admitted she thought her former co-star had “a big mouth,” saying “he swears, and he likes playing the fool”. However, she added: “But such behaviour was all relatively harmless. She said: “The world has changed. The references are no longer the same. There are tolerable things that are no longer tolerable.”
Ardent also labelled Depardieu ‘a genius’ and said that ‘all forms of genius have something extravagant, untamed, dangerous about them. She went on: “Everyone can identify with the roles Gérard offered them. No one can identify with Monsieur Perfect.’
After giving her testament, Ardent blew a kiss at Depardieu. He had agreed that he made ‘crude remarks,’ and enjoyed ‘old world’ sexist banter, but denied being ‘a groper or a rapist’. He said: ‘I’m not from the same generation as the young. I have my own world. I swear, I make crude comments.’
One of his accusers also addressed the court on Wednesday. She said she was assaulted ‘three times’ by Depardieu. “The first time, he put his hands on my bottom,’ she told the court. “I didn’t react. I didn’t understand what was going on. I told him to stop. I was petrified, shocked – it had a huge impact on my quality of life.”
She claimed she had waited two-and-a-half-years before filing a legal complaint ‘out of shame and fear,’ adding: “I said nothing. I didn’t want to cause problems during the filming. There were no witnesses.”
Depardieu was first placed in police custody on April 29, 2024, and accused of the sexual assaults. He was then bailed to appear in court, where he faces up to five years in prison, and a €75,000 (£62,000) fine.
Depardieu is also set to stand trial at a later date for allegedly raping French actress Charlotte Arnould, 29. Her decision to go public led to up to 15 women reporting Depardieu for alleged crimes that could also end up in court.
It was also announced last month that Depardieu is under criminal investigation for tax fraud and money laundering.
The current Depardieu trial is expected to end on Thursday, although the verdict may be withheld until later in the year. The trial continues.
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