(CNN) French actor Gérard Depardieu has been accused of rape and sexual assault by a 22-year-old woman, a spokesman for the Paris prosecutor told CNN on Thursday. "The Paris public prosecutor's office is making a preliminary investigation on counts of rape and sexual assault," the spokesman said. In the French judicial system, Depardieu would be placed under formal investigation if officials find grounds for pursuing the matter further. Depardieu has appeared in films like "Green Card," "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "Life of Pi." Depardieu's lawyer Herve Temime told CNN's affiliate BFMTV that his client was "shocked" by the accusation and "totally denies any assault, any rape and any criminal act."

Source: CNN August 30, 2018 17:37 UTC