Renowned French actor says Depardieu's sex assault case underlines a need for change

Renowned French actor Anouk Grinberg says the sexual assault trial against fellow actor Gerard Depardieu reflects the slow path toward awareness of sex abuse in France, especially in the film industry, after years of silence.

Renowned French actor Anouk Grinberg says the sexual assault trial against fellow actor Gerard 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 "The Green Shutters." The trial centers around the alleged sexual assault of two women, a production designer and a director's 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 shine a light on the repulsive underside of the country's industry.

"For several years, I witnessed this ... without any reaction, like everyone else," she told The Associated Press. "Because I was overwhelmed by the violence and also because at the time, we didn't think of it as violence."

Yet with the #MeToo movement and more women speaking out, something "has changed" in recent years, she said. "And I've taken the measure of this violence."