In U.Ok. Court, Kevin Spacey Denies Sexual Assault Charges

Kevin Spacey informed a British jury on Thursday that he was “a big flirt, ” however he denied the accusations of 4 males who say he sexually assaulted them.

On trial in a London courtroom, Mr. Spacey mentioned that one of many complainant’s allegations had been “madness,” and that one other’s conflicted together with his personal recollection of light romantic encounters. Mr. Spacey mentioned he had consensual oral intercourse with a 3rd complainant.

The actor mentioned he could have made a careless move at a fourth complainant, although he had little reminiscence of the occasion.

Two weeks right into a sexual assault trial in London towards the Oscar- and Tony Award-winning actor, Mr. Spacey’s testimony on Thursday was the primary time that the jury heard from him instantly.

Mr. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not responsible to 12 prices referring to incidents that the prosecution says concerned 4 males and occurred from 2001 to 2013. For most of that point, Mr. Spacey was the inventive director of the Old Vic theater in London.

Sitting on the entrance of the courtroom and dealing with the jury, Mr. Spacey — sporting a grey swimsuit and light-weight blue tie — was principally calm, and infrequently joked together with his authorized consultant, Patrick Gibbs. In his proof, he sometimes talked about performing stars together with Judi Dench and Val Kilmer. But towards the tip of his roughly three-hour testimony, Mr. Spacey grew to become tearful as he spoke concerning the aftermath of earlier allegations within the United States.

The actor informed the jury that in 2017 his “world exploded” after BuzzFeed News printed the actor Anthony Rapp’s allegations that, in 1986, Mr. Spacey put him onto a mattress and laid on high of him. After that article appeared, “there was a rush to judgment,” Mr. Spacey mentioned. He misplaced his fame, his work and far of his revenue, he added, and mentioned he nonetheless “owed money.”

Mr. Spacey informed the jury that he was cleared of these claims in an American civil case.

Opening the trial final month, Christine Agnew, a British prosecutor, informed the jury that Mr. Spacey was “a sexual bully” who “delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable.” He had repeatedly groped males, Ms. Agnew mentioned. On one event, Ms. Agnew added, Mr. Spacey gave a person oral intercourse with out that man’s consent.

In the times after Ms. Agnew’s opening speech on June 30, the jury heard from the 4 nameless complainants. The jury first watched recordings of interviews that every complainant gave to British cops, then the accuser was cross-examined.

The first complainant mentioned in his police interview that, within the early 2000s, Mr. Spacey touched him a number of instances. On one event, the complainant mentioned, he was driving with Mr. Spacey to a ball when the actor grabbed his genitals so exhausting that he nearly veered off the highway.

The claimant mentioned within the police interview that he felt like Mr. Spacey was grooming him.

On Thursday, the opening session targeted on Mr. Spacey’s recollection of these encounters, and the actor mentioned his relationship with that complainant. Leaning again in his chair and sounding wistful, he mentioned the person was “friendly and charming and flirtatious.”

The pair’s encounters step by step “became somewhat sexual,” Mr. Spacey mentioned, including that this probably occurred on the actor’s personal initiation. Mr. Spacey mentioned the pair by no means had intercourse. The complainant “made it clear he didn’t want to go any further,” Mr. Spacey added, saying he revered the complainant’s boundaries.

Later, Mr. Spacey was requested about one other complainant who informed the police that he met Mr. Spacey at a charity occasion in 2005 and that Mr. Spacey made lewd feedback to him. The complainant mentioned Mr. Spacey went on to seize his genitals with such drive that it felt “like a cobra” taking maintain.

Mr. Spacey mentioned these occasions “never happened,” and characterised the person’s account as “madness.” The actor mentioned that he had little recollection of the charity gala, however that he would by no means do something to “embarrass myself in such a way” at a public occasion.

Mr. Spacey’s authorized consultant then turned to the accusations of a 3rd complainant, an aspiring actor. That man informed the police that, one night time in August 2008, he visited Mr. Spacey’s residence and fell asleep. When he woke, he mentioned, he found the actor performing oral intercourse on him.

Mr. Spacey mentioned he believed he had loved a “very nice and lovely” night with the complainant. He mentioned that the person grew to become “awkward and fumbling” after the oral intercourse, and “hurriedly left,” as if he regretted the encounter. Mr. Spacey, whose voice rose in quantity and velocity as he mentioned the incident, mentioned that he telephoned the complainant shortly afterward to test on his welfare, as his cellphone data confirmed. The pair later exchanged textual content messages, Mr. Spacey mentioned.

After a lunch break, Mr. Spacey was requested a couple of remaining complainant, who had accused the actor of groping him at a property close to Oxford, England.

Mr. Spacey mentioned that he had little reminiscence of the occasion however had nearly “no issue” with that man’s testimony. When his authorized consultant requested him if he may need made a careless move on the complainant, Mr. Spacey agreed. “I’m only happy that he testified that the moment he told me that he was not interested, I stopped,” Mr. Spacey added.

After Mr. Spacey’s proof, the courtroom completed for the day. Mr. Spacey is scheduled to be cross-examined on Friday.