Elton John Testifies at Kevin Spacey’s Sexual Assault Trial

Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, appeared on Monday as protection witnesses within the British trial of the actor Kevin Spacey, who’s accused of a number of counts of sexual assault.

Giving proof through video hyperlink from Monaco, Mr. John was requested about his recollections of Mr. Spacey attending his White Tie and Tiara Ball, an occasion Mr. John and Mr. Furnish hosted yearly at their British dwelling for greater than a decade to boost cash to combat AIDS.

The occasion has been talked about a number of instances within the court docket case, which started final month. One complainant informed the British police that Mr. Spacey touched him a number of instances with out his consent, together with as soon as in both 2004 or 2005 when the actor grabbed his genitals so onerous that he virtually veered off the street as they had been driving to the White Tie and Tiara Ball.

The complainant mentioned he had then threatened to knock out Mr. Spacey, who had laughed and mentioned that the complainant’s anger turned him on.

Under British regulation, it’s unlawful for anybody to determine complainants in sexual assault circumstances, or to publish data that will trigger them to be recognized.

On Monday morning, Mr. John, 76, was requested whether or not Mr. Spacey had ever attended his ball. The singer mentioned that Mr. Spacey had attended as soon as, in 2001, later including that he didn’t recall Mr. Spacey visiting his dwelling after that occasion.

“He came on a private jet and came straight to the ball,” Mr. John mentioned throughout his 13-minute look. Asked to verify that Mr. Spacey had arrived by non-public jet, Mr. John mentioned he supposed that was the case as a result of he didn’t assume anybody wore white tie on a business flight.

Mr. Furnish, 60, testifying individually through video hyperlink, mentioned that he additionally had no recollection of Mr. Spacey’s attending the ball after 2001. Mr. Furnish mentioned that he had seemed via previous problems with OK!, a celeb journal that sponsored the ball, and Mr. Spacey didn’t seem in any images after the 2001 occasion.

Mr. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not responsible to 12 fees regarding incidents that the prosecution says concerned 4 males and occurred from 2001 to 2013. For most of that point, the actor was the inventive director of the Old Vic theater, a significant London playhouse. Mr. John informed the court docket that in 2002 he was the chairman of the board of trustees that managed the theater.