The French thespian, Gérard Depardieu, found himself ensnared in legal tribulations following an indictment on December 16, 2020. This came on the heels of a grave allegation leveled against him by actress Charlotte Arnould, who asserts that the actor perpetrated two rapes on August 7 and 13, 2018.
In a noteworthy development, the Paris public prosecutor’s office has corroborated that it seeks to have Depardieu stand trial for these grievous acts. The prosecutor’s office, through a final indictment issued on August 14, 2024, has formally requested the referral of Gérard Depardieu to the departmental criminal court. The charge? Rape via digital penetration and sexual assault, both alleged to have occurred on the aforementioned August dates, targeting Charlotte Arnould.
Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, the legal counsel representing Arnould, expressed to AFP that this prosecutorial decision marks the culmination of an exhaustive investigation. She emphasized that the inquiry has unearthed corroborative evidence supporting her client’s allegations. “For her, this represents a monumental stride forward, filled with hope as we now anticipate the magistrate’s order to conclude the investigation,” Durrieu-Diebolt articulated.
Arnould, visibly affected by this legal advance, shared her emotional response on X, stating she felt “immensely relieved and deeply moved” by the prosecutor’s determination. However, she tempered her optimism with caution, noting the pending magistrate’s order which will dictate the investigation’s closure.
Depardieu, a veteran actor aged 75, has been embroiled in this legal quagmire since December 16, 2020, when Arnould’s accusations first surfaced. The investigations reached their terminus on April 16, and the public prosecutor delivered the final indictment on August 14. The spotlight now shifts to the investigating judge, who holds the authority to decree whether Depardieu will face trial.
Depardieu has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, not just in this case, but in the face of additional accusations of sexual violence from other women. In October 2023, he told Le Figaro, “I have never, under any circumstances, abused a woman,” referencing Arnould’s charges. He recounted, “A woman entered my abode willingly, ascending to my quarters with deliberate intent. She now contends she was violated there.”
He further elaborated, “There was no coercion, no force, no resistance between us. If she was under any influence, it was her own; she was never under mine.”
In an ancillary legal matter, Depardieu is slated to stand trial before the Paris Criminal Court this October for alleged sexual assaults on two women during the production of Jean Becker’s 2021 film, Les volets verts.
Once revered as a national treasure, Depardieu’s fall from grace has not only marred his legacy but has also fractured the French cultural landscape. A once global ambassador of French cinema, Depardieu’s international renown now casts a shadow over his storied career, leaving the public and the industry grappling with the dissonance between his celebrated past and his contentious present.