French film star Gérard Depardieu will face trial for allegedly raping then-22-year-old actress Charlotte Arnould twice in his home. This is the actor’s most recent sexual assault allegation, following his spring conviction and 18-month prison sentence that he’s since appealed.
Arnould first accused Depardieu of rape in 2018, claiming the assaults occurred in his Paris home on two separate occasions when she was in her early 20s. Depardieu has denied any wrongdoing in the case.
In a statement posted to her Instagram page, the French actress said after “seven years of horror and hell,” the case will finally be brought to trial (translated from French).
“With a defense that, in recent months, has been excessive and absolutely unnecessary for the uncovering of the truth, the order restores a form of judicial truth,” she added. “I think I’m having trouble realizing how huge this is. I’m relieved.”
When Arnould first reported the allegations, police said there was insufficient evidence to charge Depardieu of rape. Arnould later brought a civil action against Depardieu in 2020, and prosecutors reopened the investigation and request a trial for the actor in 2022.
Depardieu has long denied any allegations made by Arnould and has claimed that his relationship with the actress was consensual. The new trial comes just months after the actor was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on the set of his 2021 film, “Les Volets Verts.”
A Paris court judge gave him an 18-month suspended prison sentence in May, which he has since appealed, after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a set decorator and an assistant director. Additionally, his name will be added to France’s sex offender registry and he must pay a fine of roughly $32,350, including one victim’s medical fees.
Actress and former ballet dancer Arnould was present in the courtroom in May when Depardieu was found guilty, and the actor’s lawyers even called her a liar in the courtroom.
Depardieu has been publicly accused of sexual assault by more than 20 women and has become the face of the French #MeToo movement. If convicted, the offense of rape carries a maximum 15-year prison term in France.
