Depardieu's agent explained the verdict to the actor by the pressure of society

The verdict of actor Gerard Depardieu in the harassment case is dictated by the pressure of modern society, and not by the desire for pure justice. This was announced to Izvestia on May 13 by the actor's agent Arnaud Frillet.

"It is difficult not to see behind this decision an unwillingness to resist the pressure of modern society, in which the fear of public condemnation seems to outweigh the desire for clean and impartial justice," he stressed.

According to Frille, despite the arguments of the defense, the judge preferred to "obey the dictates of the media" rather than show the courage necessary to make a decision based on the law and facts. He added that such a court decision indicates a desire to avoid disagreements rather than conform to the norms of justice.

"Here, an accusation is equivalent to a guilty plea. And challenging the charges is tantamount to a new conviction. Gerard is going to appeal," concluded the actor's agent.

Earlier that day, a court in France found Depardieu guilty in a case of harassment against two colleagues on the set. It is specified that the actor was sentenced to 1.5 years of probation with an additional two years of deprivation of civil rights, in particular, a ban on participating in elections. He was also added to the register of persons who have committed sexual crimes.

Earlier, on March 26, Depardieu tried to justify himself at a court hearing on sexual harassment. He confessed that he once grabbed a colleague by the hips. On the same day, the artist's agent Arnaud Frillet said in an interview with Izvestia that Depardieu was not going to admit guilt in the harassment case. According to him, the actor considers the current practice of accusing cultural figures of false statements to be a "pathetic and sad sight."

The beginning of the harassment trial was announced in October 2024. He was accused of sexually assaulting two female participants in the filming of the film "Green Shutters" in 2021.