Trial of Gerard Depardieu over sex assault charges to begin

The trial of Gerard Depardieu is set to begin in Paris today on charges of sexually assaulting two women - but the French film star will not be attending court due to health reasons, it has been announced.

The court will sit but the cross examination of the defendant and the verdict will be postponed to another date.

Depardieu, who has appeared in more than 200 films, is considered an icon of French cinema. He is alleged to have assaulted both women during the making of the film Les Volets Verts in 2021.

If convicted, he could be jailed for up to five years, although it is more likely he would be hit with a combination of a suspended sentence and a large fine.

Depardieu has denied the allegations, claiming he has never "abused a woman". He has been offered support by a group of actors and directors, who said that an attack on Depardieu represented "an attack on art itself".

The trial is seen as a huge moment for the growing MeToo movement in France.

MeToo, which became well known in America during the Harvey Weinstein rape case, exists to highlight sexual violence against women and to push for more action by authorities. It has often placed a focus on areas such as filmmaking, industries that have long been dominated by men, where a blind eye has frequently been turned to sexual abuse.

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President Emmanuel Macron described the actor as "the pride of France", sparking an angry response from campaigners who claimed he was undermining efforts to protect women from violence.

The French actress Lea Seydoux, known for her role in the Bond film No Time to Die, described Mr Macron's words as "crazy", saying "it gives a very bad image of our country".

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Depardieu has long had a reputation for living a life of excess and indulgence, with his fans lauding him as a maverick. However, more recently his popularity has declined as he has faced a growing number of claims of inappropriate conduct.

The 75-year-old is due to face another trial next year after he was charged with raping the actress Charlotte Arnould twice at his home in Paris.