Gerard Depardieu to face trial for alleged rape of fellow actor

It comes after he was convicted of sexual assault in a separate case in May

French film star Gerard Depardieu will face trial for allegedly raping actor Charlotte Arnould in 2018.

It is the latest blow to the 76-year-old’s reputation, after he was convicted of sexual assault in May for groping two other women on a film set.

Ms Arnould first accused Depardieu of rape in 2018.

She said the assaults occurred in his Paris home on two separate occasions when she was in her early 20s.

Depardieu has denied the allegations.

On Tuesday, the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that an investigating judge had ruled that the case should be sent before a court.

Actor Gerard Depardieu arrives with his lawyer Jeremie Assous, right, to face trial for the sexual assaults of two women on a film set in 2021 (AP)

That came after Ms Arnould posted about the news on her Instagram account.

"I think I'm having trouble realising how huge this is. I'm relieved," she wrote.

No court date was given for the trial.

Lawyers for Ms Arnould and Depardieu did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Depardieu rose to prominence in 1974 with Going Places and has starred in scores of French-language movies.

He has been at the centre of a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years.

Charlotte Arnould, centre, at Depardieu’s sexual assault trial (AFP via Getty Images)

Ms Arnould, 29, an actor and former ballet dancer known for her work in theatre and voice acting, was present in the courtroom in May when Depardieu was found guilty in the sexual assault case and handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence, which his lawyer said at the time he would appeal.

During that trial, Depardieu's lawyer called her a liar in the courtroom.

In her Instagram post on Tuesday, Ms Arnould referred to those comments, calling Depardieu's defence "outrageous and ... absolutely unnecessary to uncover the truth."

Though Ms Arnould's case was initially dropped, it was reopened in 2020 and prosecutors requested a trial for Depardieu in 2022.

Ms Arnould has since become a vocal figure in France's #MeToo movement, expressing solidarity with sexual assault victims and demanding accountability in the film industry.