French actor Gerard Depardieu, who is facing trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two women in a 2021 film, will not appear before a criminal court in Paris for health reasons, his lawyer said.

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

Lawyer Jeremie Assous said doctors say the actor’s health problems will not allow him to appear at the opening of the trial on Monday.

Depardieu “is deeply affected and unfortunately his doctors do not allow him to attend the hearing,” Mr Assous told France Info radio.

The lawyer said he would ask the court to delay the trial because his client “wants to come, he wants to speak.”

Prosecutors say that in both cases, the victims reported that the 75-year-old actor grabbed their legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, chest and breasts over their clothes.

The lawsuit comes as France continues to grapple with sexual violence in the wake of the #MeToo movement that has struggled to gain traction, particularly in the film industry.

One of the victims was identified as a 53-year-old production designer. The Associated Press (AP) generally does not identify victims of sexual assault without their consent. Her attorney did not respond to an AP email about the matter.

According to Paris prosecutors, the woman told investigators that she first heard sexual remarks from Depardieu and then one day, as she was walking by, he “grabbed her, pulled her towards him, blocked -her with his legs and groped her waist. , hips and chest, accompanying his gestures with obscene remarks”.

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

A psychiatric exam granted him a seven-day leave of absence.

After the incident, Depardieu was arranged to apologize. But in a TV interview aired on Saturday, she said the actor was furious and blamed her for causing trouble. Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed that what Depardieu had said did not constitute an apology.

In the interview with French online news site Mediapart, the production designer – who spoke on camera but gave only her first name – said the alleged assault had affected her personal and professional life for at least a year and half. . She said she couldn’t sleep well, suffered anxiety attacks and lost weight.

The woman, according to prosecutors, said it took her a while to file a complaint, but decided to do so after hearing on television that there had never been an incident during filming.

A month before the alleged attack, another woman who also worked on the film set complained about Depardieu, Paris prosecutors said.

A manager’s assistant told investigators that Depardieu touched her buttocks several times. She expressed her disapproval and in return Depardieu, she said, had insulted her.

She was also given a six-day leave from a psychiatrist.

Jeremie Assous, Depardieu’s lawyer, told the AP in an email Saturday that “the witnesses and evidence (Depardieu) will present will show that he is the target of false accusations.”

It is not clear when the court will rule.

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

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

Their call came just weeks after national broadcaster France 2 released a documentary outlining allegations of sexual misconduct by 16 women against Depardieu and showed the actor making obscene remarks and gestures during a trip to Korea of the North from 2018.

In the footage, Depardieu can be seen making moaning sounds and sexual comments in front of women, including a 10-year-old girl riding a horse. He can also be seen posing for a photo, saying he’s “touching the ass” of a North Korean performer alongside him.

He was charged in 2021 with rape and sexual assault after authorities reopened a 2018 investigation that was initially dropped following allegations by actor Charlotte Arnould.

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