A Paris court on Tuesday found French actor Gérard Depardieu guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021 and sentenced him to an 18-month suspension in prison in connection with the #MeToo case, per news reports.

Depardieu repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but judge Thierry Donard said his explanation of events had been unconvincing, news agency Reuters reported.

Set decorator Amelie K, one of the two plaintiffs, told the court the actor had groped her and made explicit sexual comments.

The presiding judge said two witnesses corroborated Amelie’s account. Depardieu, who was not present for the ruling, had been contradictory in his own accounts, as per the Reuters report.

Amelie K’s lawyer described the ruling as a “beautiful decision” that gave recognition to Depardieu’s victims.

According to a New York Times report, more than 20 women have accused Depardieu of sexual abuse, mostly by speaking to French news outlets. Six of those women filed complaints with the police.

This was the first case against Depardieu to go to trial.

Denying sexual assault, Depardieu had argued before the court that he did not consider placing a hand on a person’s buttocks sexual assault and that some women were too easily shocked.

One of France's most popular stars, Depardieu has starred in more than 230 films, including Green Card and Cyrano de Bergerac. He is 76 years old.