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French actor Gérard Depardieu admitted to being a “disgusting slob” while testifying during his sexual assault trial in Paris.
The Green Card star, 76, also acknowledged using crude language and placing his hands on his accuser’s hips—but firmly denied being a sexual predator, maintaining that he had done nothing wrong.
Depardieu is facing allegations of groping a 34-year-old assistant and a 54-year-old set dresser while filming the 2024 movie Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).
When he testified on Tuesday, March 25, the actor acknowledged that he could “understand” why his accusers were “upset” by his behavior.
He stated, “I understand perfectly if she’s a bit upset. I don’t have to talk like that, get angry like that, voilà.”
While the Count of Monte Cristo star admitted to using inappropriate language, he firmly insisted, “I don’t touch women’s butts.”
He described his actions as a “type of aggression” but maintained they were “certainly not sexual,” before exclaiming, “Non!” in court.
Later, during his hour-long testimony, he told the court, “I don’t see why I’d want to grope a woman. I’m not someone who rubs himself against others on the subway.”
On the day he is accused of assaulting the set dresser, Depardieu recalled being in a “bad mood” due to the heat and his discomfort from his weight.
He claimed his anger escalated during an argument over a painting, but when the set dresser testified, she accused the actor of inappropriately touching her as she tried to move past him in a narrow hallway.
She alleged that he trapped her between his legs, grabbed her hips, began “palpating” her from behind, and then groped her chest.
The set dresser described her experience, saying, “I tried to free myself, I tried to take his hands away, but I couldn’t do it.”
She continued, “He terrified me, he laughed, he looked like a madman.”
She claimed she was able to escape his grip when another person on set intervened, removing Depardieu’s hands from her body.
She added, “I saw in his eyes a pleasure in frightening me, that’s what I felt, it’s savagery. He terrified me, and that amused him.”
In response to these allegations, Depardieu argued that he only grabbed her hips to prevent himself from slipping.
This is not the first time the renowned French actor has faced accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior. While over 20 women have come forward with allegations against him, this is the first time he is standing trial. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $81,000.
