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Depardieu, one of France's top movie stars, has been at the
centre of a growing number of sexual assault allegations in
recent years that have tarnished his legacy and exposed broader
divisions about sexual conduct in France.
Depardieu, who has been questioned by the police during most of
the day, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. One of his
lawyers, Christian Saint-Palais, told BFM TV that the actor had
been released without charge.
The public prosecutor said the actor was also indicted for
another case, dating back to August 2018, of alleged sexual
assault and rape. The judge closed investigations on that case
and has handed it over to the Paris public prosecutor.
A source told Reuters Depardieu was also accused of alleged
groping on a 2014 film set.
Depardieu's case has divided the French society, with some women
viewing it as a symbol of the country's inability to tackle
sexual abuse by powerful men in the wake of the #Metoo movement.
Others, including French President Emmanuel Macron and several
well-known actors, have rallied to Depardieu's defence.
"He's an immense actor, a genius of his art," Macron said late
last year. "He makes France proud."
(Reporting by Paris newsroom; Additional reporting by Tassilo
Hummel, Juliette Jabkhiro; Writing by Gabriel Stargardter;
Editing by Nick Macfie and Tomasz Janowski)
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