On the day Cannes 2025 opens, French actor Gerard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault

French actor Gérard Depardieu has been handed down an 18-month suspended prison sentence by a Paris court after finding him guilty of having sexually assaulted two women on a film set in 2021.

The 76-year-old actor had faced charges for groping a 54-year-old set dresser and an assistant, woman in her thirties, during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).

Earlier in March, Laurent Guy, the lead prosecutor had sought an 18-month suspended jail sentence for Depardieu, stating that the assaults on the two women were 'intentional'. He had sought from the court for an order for the actor to undergo psychological treatment and also be added to the sex offender registry in France.

During this case, focus remained also on French society and its film industry on how they would tackle allegations of sexual misconduct involving prominent figures, especially in the backdrop of #MeToo movement.

"It is the victory of two women, but it is the victory of all the women beyond this trial," said Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, the set dresser's lawyer. She added, "Today we hope to see the end of impunity for an artist in the world of cinema. I think that with this decision we can no longer say that he is not a sexual abuser. And today, as the Cannes Film Festival opens, I'd like the film world to spare a thought for Gérard Depardieu's victims."

The septuagenarian actor who had denied the accusations, did not appear in court when the sentence was handed down. During trial, he had however admitted to having used vulgar and sexualised language on the film set and that he grabbed the set dresser's hips during an argument, but denied that his behaviour was sexual.

The other complainant had stated that the actor groped her buttocks and her breasts during three separate incidents on the film set.

In the past there have been formal complaints and public accusations against Depardieu. Some cases were however dropped for lack of evidence. The actor may face legal proceedings in some of the other cases.

Depardieu became popular in the 1970s and became among France's acclaimed actors.