Actor Kevin Spacey is “a sexual bully” who “enjoys making others feel powerless and uncomfortable,” a prosecutor told a British jury on Friday. Speaking at Southwark Crown Court, prosecutor Christine Agnew outlined her case against the Oscar-winning actor, who is on trial in London on multiple charges of sexual assault.
Ms Agnew said the actor’s “preferred method of attack” was to “aggressively grab other men’s crotches”. On one occasion, she said, Mr. Spacey went further and performed oral sex on a man while he was sleeping.
The actor “abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame gave him” to “take whoever they wanted, when they wanted,” Ms Agnew said.
Mr. Spacey has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The 63-year-old actor faces 12 charges in connection with incidents involving four men, according to prosecutors, that took place between 2001 and 2013. For much of this period Mr Spacey was Artistic Director of the Old Vic Theater in London.
Ms Agnew said the complainants included an aspiring actor and a man whom Mr Spacey met at a work event. Under UK law, it is illegal to identify complainants in sexual assault cases or to publish information that could lead to their identification.
Patrick Gibbs, Mr Spacey’s legal representative, issued a brief statement stressing his client’s innocence. He said the jury will hear some half-truths, some “deliberate exaggerations” and “a lot of damn lies”.
He asked the jury to consider the applicants’ motivations and to consider whether the encounters “could reasonably have been considered consensual at the time”.
Ms Agnew’s statement set out the applicants’ individual allegations. She said three accusers told police Mr. Spacey grabbed her crotch, and one said Mr. Spacey repeatedly put the man’s hands on his own crotch.
Once, Ms Agnew said, one of the men told Mr Spacey never to grab him again. Mr Spacey’s response was to laugh and then remark that the complainants’ anger had “excited” him, Ms Agnew said.
The jury would also hear from a man, Ms Agnew said, who says he went for a drink at Mr Spacey’s apartment, where he fell asleep. A few hours later, the man woke up to find Mr Spacey on his knees performing oral sex on him, Ms Agnew said. The man says he pushed Mr Spacey away then the actor asked him to leave, Ms Agnew added.
She also discussed interviews Mr Spacey had given British police under caution. During one of those conversations, she said, Spacey said that it was “completely possible and even probable” that he had “awkwardly” lunged at other men, but that he had never touched anyone’s crotch “without an indication of his consent.” ”
During Ms Agnew’s nearly 60-minute opening speech, Mr Spacey sat in a large transparent box in the center of the courtroom, wearing a light gray suit, white shirt and gold tie, and observed intently. He looked at photos in a bundle of evidence several times. As Mr. Gibbs spoke, Mr. Spacey nodded and looked at the jury.
Friday morning’s session ended shortly after Mr Gibbs’ comments. Prosecutors are expected to call their first witnesses on Monday.