Kevin Spacey is a 'sexual bully,' UK court told
June 30, 2023
Kevin Spacey is "a man who does not respect personal boundaries" and gets a thrill from preying on other men, prosecutors told jurors at the start of the actor's sexual assault trial in London on Friday.
The 63-year-old faces 12 charges, including sexual assault, indecent assault, and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. The latter charge carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
The Oscar-winning actor has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
What did prosecutor's say?
In her opening statement in London's Southwark court, prosecutor Christine Agnew argued that Spacey is "a man who would seem to delight in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable — a sexual bully."
"His preferred method of assault is, it appears, to grab other men aggressively in the crotch," she added.
The lawyer told the court that "predatory" Spacey was not just an extremely famous actor but also "a man who sexually assaults other men."
Defense lawyer Patrick Gibbs told the court that Spacey denied all allegations of nonconsensual activity.
He said the claims were "damned lies."
"You will hear some truths, you will hear some half-truths, you will also hear ... some deliberate exaggerations and some many damned lies," Gibbs said.
Sexual assault allegations against Kevin Spacey
The offenses are alleged to have taken place between 2001 and 2013. During that time he was living in the UK and working as artistic director at London's Old Vic Theatre.
Spacey won Oscars for best actor in "American Beauty" in 1999 and best supporting actor in "The Usual Suspects" in 1995.
The allegations, which surfaced in 2017, led to him being written off the Netflix political thriller "House of Cards," in which he played lead character Frank Underwood.
Spacey said that if he is acquitted of the charges, he will look to revive his career.
ara/nm (AFP, AP)