French actress Charlotte Arnould has filed a double rape complaint against actor Gérard Depardieu.
The French judiciary ruled on Thursday that there was "serious and consistent evidence" of a rape.
Therefore, the charges against the 73-year-old actor stand and the investigation continues.
Depardieu denies all allegations and has testified that the young woman consented to the sexual relationship of her own free will.
Michael Wiegel
Political correspondent based in Paris.
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Arnould's parents ran several luxury hotels, where Depardieu regularly vacationed with his then wife Elisabeth and their two children.
The families became friends and stayed in touch even after the hotels had been sold.
In the summer of 2018, Depardieu offered his mother to help Charlotte in her early days as an actress.
The mother arranged to meet at the actor's Parisian palace in the 6th arrondissement.
Charlotte Arnould, then 22, had previously battled anorexia for several years and described her condition as fragile.
Depardieu first spoke to her in a friendly manner, then told her that she was as slim as young Barbara and then kissed and raped her.
Only when a cleaning lady was busy in the next room did he let her go.
She was in shock.
Nevertheless, she returned to a "theater course" in which another rape occurred.
Depardieu, on the other hand, testified that Arnould had consented to everything.
The actress had already filed a complaint at the end of August 2018.
Her mother, who has died in the meantime, testified at the time that her daughter had returned from her meeting with Depardieu in complete disarray.
The actor, who also has a Russian passport and until recently boasted about having voted for Putin in the Russian elections at the consulate in Paris, filed a request for the case to be dropped.
But he will probably have to answer in court.