Gérard Depardieu skipping hearing on alleged sex assaults of 2 women, lawyer says, citing health reasons

French actor Gérard Depardieu won’t appear before a Paris criminal court due to health reasons for the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021. The trial was postponed, as Depardieu’s lawyer said he wants to express himself. The victims reported that Depardieu groped them over their clothes and made obscene remarks. Despite the allegations, many have come out in support of Depardieu, including French President Emmanuel Macron. This case adds to the ongoing reckoning with sexual violence in France, especially in the cinema industry, following the #MeToo movement.