Gérard Depardieu admits to grabbing sexual assault accuser by the hips

Actor denies this was assault and tells court any crude comments were due to his bad mood

Gérard Depardieu has admitted in court to grabbing by the hips a woman who accuses him of sexual assault, but denied this was assault and said any crude comments he may have made were because of his bad mood.

A towering figure of French cinema, Depardieu, 76, has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years. The actor has consistently denied any wrongdoing and this is the first case for which he is standing trial.