Gerard Depardieu: French actor’s sexual assault trial opens in Paris
Al Jazeera
Depardieu was not present at the trial due to ill health, according to his lawyer.
The trial of French actor Gerard Depardieu on sexual assault charges has opened in his absence, who has declared himself to be ill.
His lawyer, Jeremie Assous, said earlier that Depardieu, 75, was “extremely affected” by ill health and had asked for proceedings to be delayed until he could attend in person.
“Unfortunately, his doctors have forbidden him from appearing here today,” the lawyer said when arriving at the trial in Paris on Monday.
Assous said he would ask the court for a six-month suspension of the trial, following numerous other complaints and with a possible second court case already pending.
Depardieu is the highest profile figure to face accusations in France’s equivalent of the #MeToo movement, triggered initially in 2017 by allegations against US producer Harvey Weinstein.
