PARIS - A court in Paris on Tuesday is set to hand down a verdict in the sexual assault trial of French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu, a case that gripped the country for weeks.
As the ruling will coincide with the start of the Cannes Film Festival, it is likely to be among the biggest talking points on the first day of what is one of the main events on the cinema calendar.
Depardieu, who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, is the highest-profile figure caught up in France's response to the #MeToo movement.
He has been accused of improper behaviour by around 20 women, but this is the first case to come to trial.
The trial relates to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of "Les Volets Verts" ("The Green Shutters") by director Jean Becker.
Nearly two months after the high-profile proceedings, the Paris Criminal Court will deliver its verdict from 10am on Tuesday.
The plaintiffs are a set dresser, 54, identified only as Amelie, and a 34-year-old assistant director, who accuse the actor of sexual assault. Only Amelie is expected to be present to hear the verdict.
Depardieu (76) might not be in attendance.
The actor, who had complained that he had been out of work for three years, is set to star in a film directed by his friend, actor Fanny Ardant. The shooting of the scenes involving Depardieu began in April in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.
In March, lead prosecutor Laurent Guy recommended an 18-month suspended jail sentence for Depardieu, arguing that the assaults reported by the two women were "intentional".
He said Depardieu should also be ordered to undergo psychological treatment and be added to France's sex offender registry.