Asger Risom
Accusations against a famous French actor spotlight the country’s reckoning with #MeToo
A Paris court is set to rule on Tuesday in a closely watched sexual assault case involving a legendary French film star, a case seen as a milestone for France’s evolving stance on harassment and misconduct.
The actor is accused of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set in 2021, according to HotNews.
Testimonies from the victims
Prosecutors have called for an 18-month suspended sentence and a €20,000 fine. One of the alleged victims, a set decorator, told the court the actor groped her and pinned her while making explicit comments.
“He touched me everywhere, including my breasts,” she testified. “I was terrified, and he laughed.”
Another woman claimed to have been groped on set and again in public. Both incidents reportedly took place during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters), at a time when the actor was already under investigation for an earlier rape allegation.
Prosecutors have called for that case to proceed as well.
A polarizing case for France
The accused maintains his innocence, stating in court that he does not consider touching someone’s buttocks to be assault and accusing some women of being “too easily shocked.”
The case has sparked intense debate in France. Though the global #MeToo movement has struggled to gain momentum in the country, societal attitudes may be shifting.
Prominent figures from the older generation of French cinema have defended the actor. Notably, Brigitte Bardot, 90, told BFM TV: “Those with talent who grope a girl are thrown into the gutter.”
As the court prepares its decision, the outcome could represent a defining moment for the French film industry’s approach to sexual misconduct.
