Gerard Depardieu to face sexual assault trial

STORY: French actor Gerard Depardieu will be tried in October for alleged sexual assaults, the Paris public prosecutor confirmed Monday.

The 75-year-old actor is accused of sexually assaulting two women on movie sets in 2021.

Depardieu was taken into custody by police for questioning on Monday.

He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The French movie star has been at the center of a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years.

The public prosecutor says the actor was also indicted for another case, dating back to August 2018, of alleged sexual assault and rape.

A source told Reuters that Depardieu was also accused of groping on a 2014 film set.

Depardieu's case has divided French society.

Some women view 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, have rallied to Depardieu's defense, saying "he's an immense actor, a genius of his art."

"He makes France proud."