French Actor, Filmmaker Nicolas Bedos Faces One-Year Suspended Prison Sentence on Charges of Alleged Sexual Assault, Harassment

French actor-filmmaker Nicolas Bedos is facing a one-year suspended prison sentence on charges of alleged sexual assault and sexual harassment under the influence of alcohol, Variety has confirmed.

During a criminal court hearing on Sept. 26, the Paris prosecutor requested a one-year suspended sentence for Bedos, as well as “an obligation of care for a period of two years,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement sent to Variety. Bedos’ attorney Julia Minkowski had no comment.

Charges against Bedos stem from a complaint filed by a woman for an alleged sexual assault which is alleged to have occurred on June 1 in a Parisian nightclub. Bedos allegedly put his hand on the crotch of the woman who was wearing jeans. Two more women since came forward accusing Bedos of sexual misconduct but neither filed a police complaint. One woman said Bedos grabbed her by the waist and kissed her on the neck on May 12, 2023, and a second one is accusing him of sexual harassment, alleging that he touched her belly and asked her to kiss him.

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During the hearing, Bedos denied the accusations and said he “(didn’t) remember anything” about the June 2023 incident because he was too inebriated. He argued that he had a problem with alcohol, but said he “will never be a sexual aggressor.” “I do not impose myself. We can talk about heaviness, we can talk about flirting (…) but there is no sexual intention.”

“I sincerely wish I remembered what happened. Our lives were turned upside down, my life was turned upside down. I’m not disputing what she said, but it’s her interpretation of a gesture,” Bedos said, referring to the 25 year-old woman who filed the June 2023 complaint.

Bedos is best known for directing “La Belle Epoque,” which played at the Cannes Film Festival and won three Cesar Awards in 2020. Bedos’ latest film, “Mascarade,” a heist romance starring Pierre Niney, Marine Vacth, Isabelle Adjani and Francois Cluzet, played out-of-competition at Cannes in 2022.

Bedos most recently wrote and directed the Amazon original series “Alphonse,” starring Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) as a chameleon-like male escort on a mission to please women and satisfy all their wishes. The accusations against Bedos came to light as Amazon was preparing to unveil the show, which represented one of its biggest investments in a French scripted original. In the end, the streamer released it quietly.

The Paris judge is expected to issue a verdict on Oct. 22. Recent court hearings revolving around sexual assault accusations against film and TV figures include Dominique Boutonnat, the president of the National Film Board. Boutonnat received a three-year prison sentence, including two suspended, over sexual assault charges.