PARIS (AFP) – Prosecutors at Gerard Despardieu's sexual abuse trial on Thursday recommended an 18-month suspended prison sentence for the French star actor.
In a closing statement, the Chief Prosecutor asked Depardeu to be fined 20,000 euros ($21,500) and to pay damages to the plaintiff. The two women were women who accused sexual assault while filming “Les Wertz” (“Green Shutter”) in 2021.
The plaintiff is identified as a 54-year-old set dresser and Amelie and a 34-year-old assistant director.
Depardieu, who has played in more than 200 films and television series, has been accused of inappropriate behavior by around 20 women, but this is the first case to be brought to trial.
The 76-year-old is the most well-known figure in French films' reaction to the #MeToo movement, which told the court on Tuesday that he would become a “risqué of terror.”
Depardieu became a French star since the 1980s, playing roles in “The Last Metro”, “Police” and “Cyrano de Bergerac.”
He later joined global productions, including Kenneth Branagh's “Hamlet,” Anne Lee's “Life of Life,” and Netflix's “Marseille” series.
The court will then hear the closing statement of the defense.
