by The trial of Kevin Spacey for sexual assault in the UK is ongoing and on Monday the court heard testimony from one of the actor’s accusers.
A man, who has not been publicly identified, claimed Spacey groped him “a dozen times” and made unwanted advances, according to Variety. Spacey allegedly touched the person’s inner thighs and genitals over his clothing. In a pre-recorded police interview, the man compared Spacey to his character in David Fincher’s thriller Se7enwhere he played a serial killer.
His character in it Se7en“He’s a bit like that,” said the man. ‘A little creepy. Maybe not so bad.”
Spacey faces 12 charges related to incidents involving four men between 2001 and 2013. This alleged victim said the incidents took place over a span of “several years”. During the opening statement on Friday, the actor was called a “sexual bully” by prosecutor Christine Agnew. The process is expected to take four weeks.
The Oscar-winning actor – referred to in London’s Southwark Crown Court by his legal name “Kevin Spacey Fowler” – “abused the power and influence his reputation and fame gave him” to prey on men, Agnew told the nine-member jury . and three women. Spacey took “whoever he wanted, when he wanted”, claiming that his “preferred method” of attack was to “aggressively grab other men in the crotch”. She said the star “loves making others feel powerless and uncomfortable”.
Spacey’s attorney Patrick Gibbs kept his remarks brief and made it clear that the American beauty And House of cards actor, 63, denies all allegations of non-consensual activity. He told jurors they will hear half-truths, “deliberate exaggerations” and “damn lies” as the case plays out.
Tasting highlights so far:
On Monday, Spacey’s accuser claimed the actor showered him with questions and compliments during his meeting at London’s Old Vic theatre. Spacey worked there as the artistic director. “He was taking care of me almost from the beginning,” the man told authorities. Eventually, their interactions became seemingly physical.
“He took my hand and put my hand on his genitals,” the prosecutor said. “I always called him a weirdo. I always said, ‘You’re a weirdo.’ He laughed about it, he thought it was funny… he wasn’t ashamed.”
Spacey’s alleged victim called the actor “an angry person” but “charming” at times. The man said he had not gone to the police sooner because he was “embarrassed”. He claimed that the alleged abuse had caused him anxiety, stress and depression.
The trial began on Wednesday, June 28 with the official selection of the jury. Judge Mark Wall told the 12 jurors and two deputies that the case has “attracted a lot of media attention” and advised them to “trust what you see and hear in this courtroom” and not “use your computer to investigate things.” or read about the case.
Who are Spacey’s accusers and what are the charges?
Spacey pleaded not guilty to 12 charges — including assault, indecent assault and one charge of causing penetrative sexual activity without consent — made by four unidentified men, now aged between 30 and 40. It is illegal under UK law to identify accusers in sexual assault cases or to publish information that could lead to identification.
During opening statements, Agnew outlined the allegations of the accusers, who did not know each other. She said three of the men told police that Spacey grabbed their groin; one said that Spacey repeatedly placed the man’s hands on his own crotch. Agnew said: “None of the men wanted to be touched in a sexual way by Kevin Spacey Fowler, but he doesn’t seem to have cared much about their feelings. He did what he wanted to do for his own personal sexual satisfaction.”
An accuser alleged that he “fell asleep or pass out” while having drinks with Spacey in Spacey’s apartment and awoke to find the actor allegedly unzipping his pants and performing oral sex on him. He claimed he said no and Spacey continued so he pushed him away. Agnew claimed that Spacey told the man not to tell anyone what happened; the man left and burst into tears at a bus stop.
Another accuser, who was about 28 at the time, said he was sitting next to Spacey at the Haymarket Theater when the star asked him if they were “f***ed” before. The “shocked” prosecutor initially ignored the comments, but Spacey then put his hand on his leg. He said the attack later happened backstage when Spacey “grabbed [his] penis with such force it was painful.” When the person told Spacey to stop, the star reportedly laughed and said the man’s anger was aroused.
Another accuser was a driver, aged between 30 and 34 at the time, for Spacey. He claimed he had experienced “unwelcome touching” by the actor, who was said to be sitting in the front seat. The contact became more aggressive when Spacey later grabbed and groped the man.
The latest accuser said Spacey twice kissed his neck and grabbed his crotch when they were in a pub near Oxford in 2013. He claimed that he pushed Spacey off and against a wall.
The period of the alleged attacks coincides with Spacey’s time as artistic director of the historic Old Vic theater in London from 2004 to 2015. theater productions. The star maintains residencies in London and the US
Lots of accusations against Spacey during #MeToo
The Unusual suspectt’s long-running Hollywood career came to a halt in 2017 when Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp publicly accused him of sexual misconduct. Rapp said he was only 14 years old in 1986 when he was targeted by Spacey, then 26. Spacey claimed he “couldn’t remember the meeting”, and used his public statement to come out as gay.
The accusation was the first of many against Spacey, who has maintained his innocence. Many include inappropriate touching and sexual advances toward younger men, including claims by Richard Dreyfuss’ son, Harry, and actor Roberto Cavazos.
The allegations have resulted in extensive legal trouble for Spacey, apart from this UK case, which was first filed in May 2022 and has seen the charges expand over time.
In 2022, Rapp sued Spacey in a civil suit, alleging the alleged incident fell outside the statute of limitations in New York State, but ultimately lost the case.
In 2020, Spacey was ordered to pay House of cards production company MRC nearly $31 million for alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes of the show. Eight employees of the Netflix show alleged they witnessed or were victims of sexual assault by Spacey. Spacey was fired from the show in 2017, leading to millions in lost profits, producers said.
In 2018, Spacey faced criminal charges of sexual assault and assault after being accused of groping an 18-year-old in a Nantucket bar two years earlier. The charges were later dropped. The prosecution also dropped a civil lawsuit.
Also in 2018, a California massage therapist, who accused Spacey of sexual assault, also sued the star, but died in 2019, ending that case.
Spacey hopes to revive his career
Spacey has only made one movie since all this happened, in Italy, but he hopes an innocent verdict in this case will get him back to work in Hollywood.
“There are people right now who are ready to hire me once I’m cleared of these charges in London,” Spacey told German magazine Zeit in June. “Once that happens, they’re ready to move on.” he “draws resilience” from positive encounters with fans, adding, “The media did their best to make me a monster, but I’ve seen nothing but affection from the people.”
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on June 28, 2023.
