French director Nicolas Bedos is being tried in Paris for "kissing a woman's neck in a nightclub," an act the public prosecutor has labeled as "sexual assault," as well as for sexual harassment of a second woman during a separate evening, according to his lawyer on Wednesday. Bedos, son of the French comedian Guy Bedos, has directed films featuring a range of French cinema stars from Jean Dujardin to Isabelle Adjani, including Guillaume Canet and Fanny Ardant.
He is set to appear in court on September 26, facing charges of "sexual assault" against a woman in Paris between May 11-12, 2023, by "a visibly intoxicated person," and "sexual harassment" of a second woman between June 14-15, 2018, in Paris, as confirmed by the public prosecutor to AFP.
Lawyer Julia Minkowski stated in a message to AFP that these incidents "have not been formally complained about," clarifying that she "took it upon herself to announce" this trial "to prevent the publication of unacceptable lies concerning this procedure." According to the lawyer, the alleged incidents involve "a kiss on a woman's neck in a nightclub," and "the other sexual harassment incident concerns a woman who spoke of pressure and inappropriate behavior during an evening in 2018 at the home of a mutual friend, for which Bedos apologized at the time."
Additionally, a decision was made to dismiss a case due to the statute of limitations concerning incidents reported by two other women, according to the public prosecutor. The actor was accused of harassment in a nightclub by a 25-year-old woman in 2023 and was also summoned to court in February for sexual assault while intoxicated.
The French cinema community is currently in shock due to the case of Gérard Depardieu, one of the country's most prominent actors, accused of rape in 2020, who is now facing a second complaint of sexual assault related to incidents in 2007. Earlier this month, the public television channel France 2 aired a documentary featuring footage from five years ago showing the actor making vulgar sexual remarks towards women during a trip to North Korea, with a young girl not spared from his sexual innuendos. Depardieu, on the other hand, denies the allegations of sexual assault against him.
