French actor, Gerard Depardieu asks for sex assault trial to be delayed, says he is too ill to attend court to face accusations of groping women
Pqconnect 
French actor Gerard Depardieu has asked for his sex assault trial to be delayed due to unspecified health reasons
Depardieu was set to face trial on sexual assault charges in Paris today but has asked that his day in court be delayed due to health challenges, his lawyer said.
'Depardieu is extremely affected and unfortunately, his doctors have forbidden him from being present at the hearing, which is why he will ask for a postponement to a later date so that he can attend', legal representative Jeremie Assous told Franceinfo this morning.
The 75-year-old titan of French cinema was expected to face the court in Paris this morning over the alleged sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021.
Depardieu, who 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).
Prosecutors say that in both cases, victims reported that the 75-year-old actor trapped them between his legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, chest and breasts over their clothes.
The trial comes as France continues to reckon with sexual violence in the wake of the MeToo movement that struggled to find traction, especially in the cinema industry.
One of the alleged victims told investigators that she had first heard sexual remarks from Depardieu before one day suffering an assault, prosecutors said.
She claims that as she walked past the actor, he 'grabbed her, attracted her towards him, blocked her with his legs, and groped her waist, hips and chest, accompanying her gestures with obscene remarks'.
Three people witnessed it, prosecutors said, confirming that the woman attempted to break off Depardieu's grip and that she seemed 'shocked'.
A psychiatrist examination granted her a seven-day leave.
After the incident, it was arranged for Depardieu to apologise.
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 only gave her first name - said the alleged assault had taken a toll on her personal and professional life for at least one-and-a-half years.
She said she could not sleep well, suffered anxiety attacks and lost weight.
The woman said it had taken her a while to file a complaint but decided to do so after hearing on television that there had never been an incident during the shoot, prosecutors said.
One month before that alleged assault, another woman also working on the film's set had complained about Depardieu.
A director's assistant told investigators Depardieu had touched her buttocks on several occasions.
She had expressed her disapproval and in return, Depardieu, she said, had been insulting towards her.
She was also given a six-day leave by a psychiatrist.
When asked about the claims against his client, Jeremie Assous said 'the witnesses and evidence (Depardieu) will produce will demonstrate that he is the target of false accusations'.
