Actor Gérard Depardieu will not appear in a French court for his trial on sexual assault charges

PARIS -- French character Gérard Depardieu, who is facing proceedings for nan alleged intersexual assaults of 2 women connected a movie group successful 2021, won't look earlier a criminal tribunal successful Paris connected Monday owed to wellness reasons, his lawyer said.

Depardieu, who antecedently has denied immoderate wrongdoing, is accused of utilizing “violence, coercion, astonishment aliases threat” successful nan alleged assault, which prosecutors said took spot connected nan group of “Les Volets verts” (”The Green Shutters.")

Lawyer Jérémie Assous said doctors opportunity nan actor's wellness doesn't let him to look for nan opening of nan proceedings connected Monday.

Depardieu "is profoundly affected and unluckily his doctors don't let him to look astatine nan hearing,” Assous told France Info radio.

Assous said he will inquire nan tribunal for nan postponement of nan proceedings because his customer “wishes to come, wants to definitive himself.”

Prosecutors opportunity that successful some cases, victims reported that nan 75-year-old character trapped them betwixt his legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, thorax and breasts complete their clothes.

The proceedings was scheduled arsenic France continues to reckon pinch intersexual unit successful nan aftermath of nan #MeToo activity that struggled to find traction particularly successful nan cinema industry.

One of nan victims has been identified arsenic a 53-year-old accumulation designer. The Associated Press doesn't mostly place victims of intersexual battle without their consent. Her lawyer did not respond to an AP's email connected that matter.

According to Paris prosecutors, nan female told investigators that she'd first heard intersexual remarks from Depardieu and past 1 day, arsenic she walked past him, he had "grabbed her, pulled her toward him, blocked her pinch his legs, and groped her waist, hips and chest, accompanying his gestures pinch obscene remarks."

Three group witnessed it, prosecutors said, confirming that nan female made an effort to break distant from Depardieu's grip and that she seemed “shocked.” A psychiatrist introspection granted her a seven-day leave.

After nan incident, it was arranged for Depardieu to apologize. But successful a TV question and reply aired Saturday, nan female said nan character was furious and blamed her for causing trouble. Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed that what Depardieu had said did not represent an apology.

In nan question and reply pinch French online news tract Mediapart, nan accumulation designer — who said connected camera but only gave her first sanction — said nan alleged battle had taken a toll connected her individual and master life for astatine slightest 1 1/2 years. She said she could not slumber well, suffered worry attacks and mislaid weight.

The woman, according to prosecutors, said it had taken her a while to record a title but she decided to do truthful aft proceeding connected tv that location had ne'er been an incident during nan shoot.

The period earlier nan alleged assault, different female besides moving connected nan film's group had complained astir Depardieu, Paris prosecutors said.

A director’s adjunct told investigators Depardieu had touched her hips connected respective occasions. She had expressed her disapproval and successful return, Depardieu, she said, had been insulting toward her. She was besides fixed a six-day time off by a psychiatrist.

Assous, Depardieu's lawyer, told nan AP successful an email Saturday that “the witnesses and grounds (Depardieu) will nutrient will show that he is nan target of mendacious accusations.”

Despite nan allegations against Depardieu, galore person travel retired successful his support, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Late past year, 56 French performers, writers and producers published an effort defending nan movie star, saying that erstwhile “Gérard Depardieu is targeted this way, it is nan creation (of cinema) that is being attacked.”

Their telephone came conscionable weeks aft nationalist broadcaster France 2 put retired a documentary outlining accusations of intersexual misconduct by 16 women against Depardieu, and showed nan character making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 travel to North Korea.

In nan footage, Depardieu tin beryllium seen making groaning sounds and intersexual comments successful beforehand of women, including a woman astir 10 years aged who is equine riding. He tin besides beryllium seen posing for a photo, saying he was “touching nan bottom” of a North Korean expert by his side.

He was charged successful 2021 pinch rape and intersexual battle aft authorities revived a 2018 investigation that was initially dropped, following allegations from character Charlotte Arnould.

In an unfastened missive published successful nan conservative-leaning newspaper Le Figaro, Depardieu said past year: “I person never, ever abused a woman.”

The character was agelong seen arsenic a nationalist icon successful France. He has been a world ambassador for French movie and enjoyed world fame pinch respective roles successful Hollywood.

Earlier this year, character Judith Godrèche called connected France’s movie manufacture to “face nan truth” connected intersexual unit and beingness maltreatment during nan Cesar Awards ceremony, France’s type of nan Oscars.

Godrèche had antecedently alleged 2 salient filmmakers sexually abused her erstwhile she was a teen, sending caller shockwaves done nan industry.

More recently, the ongoing proceedings of 50 men accused of raping a female who had been antecedently drugged and rendered unconscious by her hubby shook nan country. Protests dispersed nationwide past play successful support of nan victim, a mother and grandma successful her early 70s, who has go a leader to galore victims of intersexual violence for insisting that her proceedings beryllium unfastened to nan public.

Feminist groups person called for a protestation extracurricular nan courthouse up of Monday’s hearings.