PARIS (AP) 鈥� Renowned French actor Anouk Grinberg says the sexual assault trial against fellow actor G茅rard Depardieu reflects the slow path toward awareness of sex abuse in France, especially in the film industry, after years of silence.
Grinberg, 61, who has appeared in about 30 films, spoke Monday at what was supposed to be the start of Depardieu's trial but which was postponed until March because of concerns over the 75-year-old actor's health.
She has known Depardieu for over three decades, appearing with him in a 1991 film and in the film 鈥淭he Green Shutters." The trial centers around the alleged sexual assault of two women, a production designer and a director鈥檚 assistant, on the set of the latter film in 2021.
Depardieu has denied any wrongdoing.
In recent months, Grinberg has decided to speak out on the need for change, joining other French actors who decided to of the country鈥檚 industry.
鈥淔or several years, I witnessed this ... without any reaction, like everyone else," she told The Associated Press. 鈥淏ecause I was overwhelmed by the violence and also because at the time, we didn鈥檛 think of it as violence.鈥�
Yet with the #MeToo movement and more women speaking out, something 鈥渉as changed鈥� in recent years, she said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e taken the measure of this violence.鈥�
Grinberg also said she personally knows actor Charlotte Arnould, who accuses Depardieu of two rapes allegedly committed in August 2018 in a separate case. Depardieu was charged in 2020 with rape and sexual assault in that case, but a magistrate has yet to decide whether to send it to trial.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 complicated in cases of sexual violence is that most of the time, women don鈥檛 move, don鈥檛 defend themselves. And it鈥檚 not because they consent, it鈥檚 because they鈥檙e just petrified. Something has died inside them, paralyzed by terror, by disgust," Grinberg said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where we have to educate the society as well as the justice system,鈥� she added.
Grinberg described with graphic details Depardieu's obscene comments she said he kept making on 鈥淭he Green Shutters" film set.
鈥淭he society as a whole has really been a great accomplice in these actions, these excesses, these deviances,鈥� Grinberg said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been a witness, on movie sets who were entirely silent or sniggering at this verbal violence.鈥�
She said many in the cinema world remained silent because they were afraid they would not be able to work anymore if they spoke out against powerful people in the industry.
Depardieu鈥檚 trial shows that times have changed, especially since the alleged victims did not have high-profile roles. The 鈥渓ittle hands鈥� working in the cinema industry 鈥渁re speaking out and saying enough is enough. Enough is really enough,鈥� Grinberg said.
Earlier this year, French actor Judith Godr猫che called on France鈥檚 film industry on sexual violence and physical abuse during the Cesar Awards ceremony, France鈥檚 version of the Oscars. 鈥淲e can decide that men accused of rape no longer rule the (French) cinema,鈥� Godr猫che said.
Last year, one of France鈥檚 top actors, Ad猫le Haenel, announced she was that she denounced for 鈥渃omplacency toward sexual aggressors.鈥�
Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry 鈥淧ortrait of a Lady on Fire,鈥� published an open letter in the Telerama magazine in which she said Cannes and other pillars of the French film industry are 鈥渞eady to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.鈥�
Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press
