American actor Kevin Spacey arrived at court in London on Wednesday morning, where he is due to stand trial on multiple sexual assault charges dating back to the early 2000s, which he denies.
The 63-year-old Hollywood star has pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges brought to light against him in the wake of the #MeToo movement, putting his career on hold.
This trial at Southwark Crown Court in south London is expected to last a month.
Kevin Spacey arrived with his lawyers just after 7am GMT, more than two hours before the hearing began. He looked relaxed, dressed in a suit and tie, and gave a quick wave to the dozens of journalists in attendance before entering the courtroom.
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The two-time Oscar-winning actor, for his roles in American Beauty and Usual Suspects, was first charged last summer with four sexual assaults on three men between March 2005 and April 2013 while he was manager of London’s Old Vic theatre.
In November 2022, the case was expanded to include another case in which prosecutors say he is accused of sexually assaulting a man between 2001 and 2004, including forcing him to have “non-consensual sex”.
Other allegations against the actor include forcing non-consensual penetration sex or intentionally sexually touching another person without their consent.
“Prove His Innocence”
None of his alleged victims can be identified under English law.
Kevin Spacey Fowler, his real name, has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him at several preliminary hearings, either in person or by videoconference.
After the prosecution gave the green light, the actor said he was “disappointed” but announced his intention to appear in British courts to “prove his innocence”.
These allegations surfaced in 2017 at the dawn of the #MeToo movement, when Kevin Spacey was at the height of his fame starring in the hit Netflix series House of Cards. In doing so, he was landed from last season.
Kevin Spacey, an actor made famous for his roles as anti-hero or frankly villain, has disappeared from the scene since these cases, which weren’t limited to the UK, although he was never convicted.
Actor Anthony Rapp accused him of sexual touching during a party in the United States in 1986 and was found not guilty by a New York civil court last October.
He had also been charged with indecent assault and sexual assault on an 18-year-old boy at a Massachusetts bar, but the US court dropped the charges in July 2019.