Gerard Depardieu to be tried in October over alleged sexual assaults

French actor Gerard Depardieu will be tried over sexual assault allegations, the Paris public prosecutor has said.

The 75-year-old actor, who previously has denied any wrongdoing, was detained for questioning by police in Paris for several hours earlier on Monday.

His lawyer, Christian Saint-Palais, later declined to comment to reporters other than to say that the actor was no longer in custody.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the actor has been “summoned to appear before the criminal court” after the questioning.

A trial will start in October “for sexual assaults likely to have been committed in September 2021” against “two victims, on the set of the film ‘The Green Shutters,’ ” the statement said. It did not name the alleged victims.

The public prosecutor said the actor was also indicted for another case, dating back to August 2018, of alleged sexual assault and rape.

Depardieu, one of France’s top movie stars, has been at the centre of a number of sexual assault allegations in recent years that have tarnished his legacy and exposed broader divisions about sexual conduct in France.

In an open letter last October, Depardieu said: “I have never, ever abused a woman.”