French actor Gérard Depardieu in custody over sexual assault allegations

French actor Gérard Depardieu is in custody over allegations of sexual assault, according to media reports.

The 75-year-old actor was summoned to a Paris police station for questioning on Monday morning, broadcaster BFMTV said.

“He grabbed her, trapped her between his legs and touched her body up to her breasts.

“She felt completely powerless, incapable of escaping this trap.”

In 2020, the actor was charged with the rape of actor Charlotte Arnould, when she was 22-years-old in 2018. The case remains open.

A separate case was brought by actor Hélène Darras but was dropped by prosecutors for being past the statute of limitations.

He has also been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women.

He denies wrongdoing and claims any relationships he has had were consensual.

Oscar-nominated Depardieu is a prominent figure in French and international cinema, having made more than 200 films.

He is being questioned over two separate allegations brought by two women who worked with Depardieu on film sets in 2014 and 2021.

Depardieu has not yet commented on this case, but has previously denied other allegations of sexual assault.

In an open letter published last year, he said: “Never, ever have I abused a woman”.

A woman involved in the 2021 incident alleges the assault took place on the set of the film The Green Shutters, which was released the following year.

Her lawyer told BFMTV that her client was “passing through a corridor where Mr Depardieu was sitting.”