French actor Gerard Depardieu has been charged with rape and sexual assault, according to a report from the AFP News Agency, which cited a judicial source.
The accusation comes from an unnamed 22-year-old actress and the incident allegedly took place in 2018 at Depardieu’s Parisian home. She claimed two assaults had taken place during rehearsal sessions.
An investigation, which was initially dropped in 2019 due to a lack of evidence, was re-opened in October and has now seemingly led to criminal charges.
Depardieu, via his lawyer, told AFP that he “completely rejects the accusations”.
An acclaimed actor who has been Oscar nominated and has won multiple Cesars, Depardieu has courted controversy over the years, including an incident in 2011 when he urinated on a flight, and in 2012 when he was accused of assaulting a motorist.
