As France braces for the verdict in Gérard Depardieu’s high-profile sexual assault trial, 90-year-old French icon Brigitte Bardot has reignited controversy by defending actors accused of inappropriate behavior.
Her comments come at a tense moment for the French film industry, which has been shaken by a wave of allegations and growing calls for accountability.
In a rare interview—her first in over a decade—Bardot weighed in with remarks that many have found deeply troubling, especially given the context of the charges surrounding one of France’s most celebrated actors.
Bardot Dismisses Feminism and Defends Men Accused of Misconduct
Speaking to BFMTV, Bardot made it clear she’s not a fan of feminism.
“Feminism is not my thing,” she said, brushing aside the seriousness of groping allegations.
“People with talent who grab a girl’s bottom are thrown into the bottom of the ditch,” she added, implying that such behavior shouldn’t destroy careers.
According to Bardot, men facing backlash—like Depardieu—are being deprived of their livelihoods.
“They can’t live anymore,” she claimed. “They won’t find much work.”
Gérard Depardieu Faces Serious Allegations in Ongoing Trial
Depardieu, 76, has been a household name for decades, starring in over 200 productions, but now he’s making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
He’s currently on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two women during the 2021 filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters)—a charge he denies.
This is the first of multiple accusations against him to make it to court.
Around 20 women have come forward with claims of inappropriate behavior, but this is the first time Depardieu is facing formal charges.
Co-Star Anouk Grinberg Speaks Up for the Accusers
Prominent French actress Anouk Grinberg, who appeared in the same film, has come out in support of the two women involved in the case.
She claims that Depardieu made a habit of crude, sexualized comments on set.
According to her, the producers knowingly hired someone with a history of such behavior.
The 54-year-old set dresser involved in the case accused Depardieu of groping her and making lewd remarks—including a disturbing comment about his “big parasol.”
She claims he physically pinned her and touched her without consent, before being pulled away by bodyguards.
A 34-year-old assistant director has also filed a complaint, though the details of her allegations have yet to be released.
Separate Rape Allegations Are Still Pending from 2018
Aside from the on-set incidents, Depardieu is also facing a separate case involving Charlotte Arnould, a young actress who says she was raped and sexually assaulted by him at his Paris mansion in August 2018.
After six years of investigation and new evidence, French prosecutors have called for a trial.
Arnould, now 29, waived her anonymity in 2021 and has been waiting for justice ever since.
Her lawyer described the prosecutor’s push for trial as a “huge step forward full of hope.”
Actor Denies All Allegations and Accuses Media of “Lynching”
Throughout all of this, Depardieu has denied any wrongdoing.
In 2023, he broke his silence, insisting that he is “neither a rapist nor a predator.”
He accused critics and the press of trying to destroy his reputation, calling the public response a “media lynching.”
His legal team has not responded to the most recent calls for trial, but the Green Card actor continues to maintain that any sexual contact was consensual.
Growing Number of Women Come Forward with Similar Claims
In the past year, even more women have gone public with allegations.
Actress Emmanuelle Debever, who died in December 2023 in what many fear was a suicide, had also accused Depardieu of assaulting her when she was a teenager.
Her death came on the same day a revealing documentary titled Gérard Depardieu: The Fall of the Ogre aired.
Actress Hélène Darras also came forward, accusing Depardieu of treating her “like a piece of meat” during the filming of Disco in 2007.
She described him groping her and making inappropriate advances while on set.
To make matters worse, Spanish journalist Ruth Baza filed a complaint in late 2023, claiming Depardieu raped her back in 1995 in Paris.
French Film Industry Faces Reckoning as Systemic Abuse is Exposed
A recent French parliamentary inquiry involving testimonies from over 140 people found that sexual abuse in the arts industry remains “systematic, endemic and persistent.”
The lawmaker who led the investigation called the industry “a meat grinder that consumes people.”
Despite growing outrage, some voices within the older generation of French cinema—including Bardot and actress Catherine Deneuve—continue to defend what they see as traditional seduction.
Deneuve famously signed a letter in 2018 defending men’s “freedom to bother” women, a statement that sparked global criticism.
Divided Reactions as France Awaits Depardieu Verdict
With the verdict looming, the divide within France’s cultural landscape is stark.
While younger generations and women’s rights advocates push for reform and accountability, others—including powerful voices from the past—seem unwilling to let go of what they view as harmless flirtation.
Brigitte Bardot’s latest comments are likely to stir even more heated debate, especially as the world waits to see how the French justice system will handle the allegations against one of its most famous stars.