French actor Gerard Depardieu testified that he has been told he has “a Russian nature” for his drinking, during his trial for sexual assault.
On the second day of the trial in a Paris court, he denied any wrongdoing but said his behaviour was regarded by some as boorish.
Depardieu said: “I’ve always been told I have a Russian nature, I don’t know if it’s because of the drinking or the vulgarity… I’m not touching the butts of women.”
The 76-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting two female crew members on the set of the film Les Volets Verts (Green Shutters) in 2021.
Read more: Why is actor Gerard Depardieu on trial
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The anonymous women both claim the actor forced himself on them on multiple occasions, touching them over their clothes, according to court documents.
Speaking in court on Tuesday, Depardieu acknowledged he used crude and heated language around one of the women who accused him of sexual assault, as well as grabbing her hips.
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“I understand perfectly if she’s a bit upset,” he said. “I am capable of trash talk… I don’t have to talk like that, get angry like that, voila.”
Depardieu said grabbing the woman’s hips was not ill-intentioned and added: “She didn’t answer as if I was assaulting her.”
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He has starred in more than 200 films over five decades, winning two best lead actor awards at the Cesars, and being nominated for an Oscar and 15 other Cesars.
