In a moment hailed by some as France’s long-overdue cultural reckoning, legendary French actor Gérard Depardieu has been convicted of sexual assault by a Paris court—marking a seismic shift in the nation’s historically permissive attitude toward sexual misconduct by powerful men.
Depardieu, 76, received an 18-month suspended prison sentence for assaulting two women on a film set. The court’s decision, while a conviction, has ignited new controversy over whether France’s judicial system is truly prepared to hold celebrities accountable.
A Fall from Grace
The trial comes after years of allegations, denials, and growing scrutiny. Once celebrated as a national treasure, Depardieu starred in more than 200 films including Green Card, The Last Metro, and Cyrano de Bergerac. Even President Emmanuel Macron, as recently as December 2023, publicly defended him, declaring:
“He makes France proud.”
Now, that defense looks tone-deaf in the face of official findings.
According to testimony, one woman described how Depardieu groped her while she was trapped between his legs on set, laughing while making explicit comments. Depardieu dismissed the accusations, telling the court he didn’t believe touching someone’s buttocks constituted sexual assault, and said “some women are too easily shocked.”
But Judge Thierry Donard was scathing in his ruling:
“He does not seem to have grasped either the concept of consent or the deleterious and traumatic consequences of his behavior.”
A Suspended Sentence—And an Ongoing Fight
Despite the conviction, Depardieu will not serve jail time—a point that sparked outrage among women’s rights activists. He will, however, be added to France’s sex offender registry, and still faces a separate rape trial for unrelated charges.
This verdict came on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, forcing the French film industry—long criticized for its “laissez-faire” attitude—to face a symbolic moment of reckoning.
A French #MeToo Moment?
France’s #MeToo movement, though slower to rise than in the U.S., is gaining traction. High-profile cases like that of Depardieu suggest the country is inching toward accountability—but the suspended sentence signals the deep institutional reluctance to punish icons of cultural prestige.
As one activist noted outside the courtroom:
“France doesn’t yet know how to handle its monsters when they wear crowns.”
The question now is whether this case will mark a true turning point—or remain just another footnote in France’s long history of excusing the inexcusable.
