Who did Gérard Depardieu play on "The Green Shutters"? Character explored as actor found guilty of s*xual assault on film set

Veteran French actor Gérard Depardieu has been found guilty of s*xual assault against two women during the filming of the movie The Green Shutters (Les Volets Verts) by a French court on May 13, 2025. This marks one of the biggest cases spearheaded by the #MeToo movement in France, with the global movement against s*xual violence taking years to gain recognition in the country.

Gérard Depardieu plays Jules Maugin, an actor at the height of success in the 1970s. However, Maugin is warned that his unhealthy lifestyle has cut short his lifespan, forcing him to look back on the life he's led.

According to the BBC, Depardieu was handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay each victim €1,000. The assault reportedly took place during the filming of The Green Shutters in September 2021, which was adapted from the 1950 Georges Simenon novel of the same name.

According to IMDb, the synopsis for The Green Shutters reads:

"It describes the twilight of a sacred monster, Jules Maugin, an actor at the height of his glory. Under the famous personality, the big mouth, and the social shell, lies the intimate portrait of a man laid bare."

The movie is reportedly screenwriter Jean-Loup Dabadie's last project before he died in 2020. Jean Becker directed The Green Shutters, which features Fanny Ardant (who plays Jules Maugin's ex-wife) and Benoît Poelvoorde.

Trigger warning: This article mentions of r*pe and s*xual assault.

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Gérard Depardieu will reportedly appeal the verdict

According to the BBC, Gérard Depardieu's lawyers reportedly plan to appeal the guilty verdict as the actor continued to deny all accusations listed in his s*xual assault trial.

The assaults reportedly took place during the filming of The Green Shutters, with one of the victims, a 54-year-old set dresser, accusing the actor of holding her between his legs and groping her while making explicit remarks. She also claimed Depardieu began “palpating” her behind and “in front, around,” saying:

“He touched everything, including my breasts. I was terrified, he was laughing.

Depardieu was convicted of s*xual assault (Image via @mwilliamsthomas/X)

The second plaintiff, a third assistant director on the film, testified that the 76-year-old actor groped her breasts and butt during three separate occasions while on set.

Gérard Depardieu denied all allegations during his March trial, claiming his actions were misconceived. However, he admitted to having used s*xualized language while on set and also confessed that he had grabbed the set dresser's hip during an argument, but denied that it had any s*xual connotations.

Depardieu said:

"My name has been dragged through the mud by lies and insults. A trial can be a very special experience for an actor. Seeing all this anger, the police, the press. It's like being in a science fiction film, except it's not science fiction. It's life."

French Actor Gérard Depardieu Faces Trial Over S*xual Assault Allegations (Image via Getty Images)

Depardieu had been absent from the court during his sentencing. According to Deadline, he is in Portugal filming for Fanny Ardant’s forthcoming film, making this the actor's first movie or TV role since his s*xual assault accusations.

This is not the first time the actor has been accused of s*xual assault. Over 20 women have accused Gérard Depardieu of misconduct over the years, however, most complaints have been dropped due to a lack of evidence or expiry of the statute of limitations.

Gérard Depardieu is also expected to face another trial for the alleged r*pe of fellow actress Charlotte Arnould, who accused the actor of s*xually assaulting her at his home in 2018.