Kevin Spacey was accused on Friday of being a “sexual bully” by prosecutors at his trial in the U.K. over a string of alleged assaults against four men.
The jury in London was also told that the actor “delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable” and “did what he wanted to do for his own personal sexual gratification.” Spacey, 63, has previously denied 12 charges including sexual assault and indecent assault against the four alleged victims between 2001 and 2013.
The case is just the latest legal hurdle for Spacey, who has dodged allegations of sexual misconduct since actor Anthony Rapp came forward in a 2017 BuzzFeed article to accuse Spacey of sexual assaulting him when he was 14. Rapp later filed a $40 million lawsuit against Spacey, which went to trial in Manhattan federal court last October. A jury in that trial concluded that Spacey should not be held liable for the alleged assault.
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As the only accuser to have battled the House of Cards actor in court in the U.S., Rapp told The Daily Beast he was sending “strength to the courageous men who are bringing this case to court in London.”
“A trial is a harrowing experience for victims of abuse, and I sincerely hope these men are served with the proper outcome: that Kevin Spacey is punished for his crimes,” Rapp said.
At Southwark Crown Court in London, prosecutor Christine Agnew reminded jurors not to be “star-struck” by the defendant. “He is an extremely famous actor who has won a number of awards,” she said. “He is also, the prosecution allege, a man who sexually assaults other men.”
She went on to allege that Spacey’s “preferred method of assault” was “to aggressively grab other men in the crotch.” One of the men allegedly assaulted—all of whom were in their twenties or thirties at the time of the incidents—claimed in one incident that while he was driving Spacey “grabbed him so hard he almost came off the road.” He then rebuked Spacey and told him never to do it again, alleging that “his getting angry simply turned [Spacey] on.”
The court also heard that a second man first met Spacey while working at an event in a theater in London’s West End. When no one else was around, he alleged that Spacey asked him questions of a sexual nature including about the size of his genitals and said: “Is it true what they say about Black men, do you like it outside?” He also claimed Spacey later grabbed his penis with “such force it was painful.”
A third accuser—the first to make a complaint—met Spacey while auditioning for a role, the court was told. The man said he later asked Spacey for mentoring and, after meeting, went back to the actor’s apartment. After falling asleep or passing out, the man said he later awoke to find Spacey “sucking his penis.” He said he pushed Spacey off and, as he left the apartment, was told by Spacey not to tell anyone about what had happened.
The fourth accuser said he was working in a pub that Spacey visited in 2013. The man said he chatted with the actor and told him he was going to another bar later to meet friends. When the alleged victim arrived at the second location, he found Spacey already drinking with his friend group. There, Spacey allegedly put his hand on the man’s knee and the knees of others in the group.
The man then later went with one of his friends and Spacey to the house where Spacey was staying where they carried on drinking and smoking cannabis, jurors heard. At the house, the complainant alleged that Spacey kissed his neck twice and said, “Be cool, be cool.” The man also alleged that Spacey grabbed his crotch before the man “pushed the defendant against a wall” and said, “Sorry, man, I don’t bat for that team,” before leaving.
Prosecutor Agnew said it “may well be” that Spacey got a “sexual thrill” from his alleged aggression. She also said the four accusers did not know each other.
“Are they lying?” Agnew asked jurors. “Have they decided to manufacture allegations against the defendant in order to benefit financially? Is that why they’ve come forward? That will almost certainly be suggested to you by those representing the defendant.”
“Or is it the case, as we the prosecution suggest, that [Spacey] abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame afforded him; taking advantage of his popularity and prominence, his illustriousness and influence,” she added. “Taking what and who he wanted when he wanted.”
Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs, said his client “completely denied” the accusations. “Mr. Spacey is rich and influential, and the flip side of that, amongst your considerations in the case,” Gibbs said. “What did they want from his wealth and from his influence? And what do they still want, do you think?”
