The legendary actor will appear in court in Paris on sexual assault charges

French actor Gerard Depardieu is expected to appear in a Paris criminal court on Monday accused of sexually harassing two women on the set of a film in 2021.

Depardieu, who has previously denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threats” in the alleged attack, which prosecutors said took place on the set of “Les Volets Verts” (“The Green Shutters”).

Prosecutors said that in both cases, the victims reported that the 75-year-old actor held them between their legs and squeezed their buttocks, genitals, breasts and breasts through their clothes.

The trial comes as France continues to reckon with sexual violence in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which has struggled to find traction, particularly in the movie industry.

Prosecutors say there are witnesses on the film set

One of the dead has been identified as a 53-year-old production designer.

The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual assault without their consent. His lawyer did not respond to an AP email about the matter.

According to Paris prosecutors, the woman told investigators that she first heard sexist comments from Depardieu and then one day, when he was walking past her, he “grabbed her, pulled her towards him, pinned her by his legs and grabbed her by the waist, Buttocks and breasts, with her gestures making lewd comments.”

Three people witnessed it, prosecutors said, confirming that the woman tried to break Depardieu’s hinges and that he appeared “shocked.”

A psychiatrist’s examination granted him seven days’ leave.

Depardieu was ordered to apologize after the incident. But in a TV interview aired on Saturday, she said the actor was angry and blamed her for causing trouble.

Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed that what Depardieu said was not an apology.

In an interview with French online news site Mediapart, the production designer — who spoke on camera but gave only his first name — said the alleged attack had affected his personal and professional life for at least 1 1/2 years.

She said she couldn’t sleep well, suffered from anxiety attacks and lost weight.

According to prosecutors, the woman said she hesitated to file a complaint but decided to do so after hearing on television that nothing happened during the shooting.

A month before the alleged assault, another woman working on the film’s set also made complaints about Depardieu, Paris prosecutors said.

An assistant to the director told investigators that Depardieu touched her buttocks several times.

He expressed his disapproval and in return, Depardieu, he said, was insulting to him.

A psychiatrist also gave him six days off.

Jeremy Assos, a lawyer for Depardieu, told the AP in an email Saturday that “the witnesses and evidence (Depardieu) will present will prove that he is the target of false accusations.”

It is not clear when the court will rule.

Macron and some members of the film industry have returned to Depardieu

Despite the allegations against Depardieu, many have come out in support of him, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Late last year, 56 French actors, writers and producers published an essay defending the film star, saying that “when Gerard Depardieu is targeted in this way, it is an attack on the art (of cinema).”

Their call came weeks after national broadcaster France 2 aired a documentary against Depardieu accusing 16 women of sexual misconduct and showing lewd comments and gestures to the actor during a 2018 visit to North Korea.

In the footage, Depardieu can be seen shouting and making sexual comments in front of women, including a 10-year-old girl who is riding a horse.

He is also seen posing for a photo, saying he is “touching down” a North Korean interpreter by his side.

He was charged with rape and sexual assault in 2021 after authorities revived a 2018 investigation following allegations by actor Charlotte Arnold.

In an open letter published in the conservative-leaning newspaper Le Figaro, Depardieu said last year: “I have never abused a woman.”

The actor has long been seen as a national icon in France. He became a global ambassador for French cinema and enjoyed international fame with several roles in Hollywood.

Earlier this year, actor Judith Godrecht called on France’s film industry to “face the truth” about sexual violence and physical abuse at the César Awards ceremony, France’s version of the Oscars.

Godreche had earlier alleged that two prominent filmmakers sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager, sending fresh shockwaves through the industry.

More recently, the ongoing trial of 50 men accused of raping a woman, who had previously been drugged and rendered unconscious by her husband.

Last weekend sparked nationwide protests in support of the victim, a mother and grandmother in her early 70s who has become a hero to many victims of sexual violence by insisting her trial be made public.

Feminist groups have called for protests outside the courthouse ahead of Monday’s hearing.