The trial of American actor Kevin Spacey began at London’s Southwark Crown Court, where he faced a dozen allegations of historic sex offenses. The 63-year-old Oscar-winning actor pleaded not guilty to the charges, while his lawyer vehemently denied the claims, referring to them as “damned lies.”
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During the prosecution’s opening statement, lawyer Christine Agnew portrayed Spacey as an aggressive “sexual bully” who derived pleasure from assaulting men and was turned on by their angry reactions. She described him as a man who lacked respect for personal boundaries, frequently making others feel powerless and uncomfortable. Agnew further alleged that Spacey’s preferred method of assault involved grabbing other men aggressively in the crotch.
Spacey, present in the courtroom wearing a grey suit, gold-colored tie, and glasses, listened to the proceedings from the dock. The charges against him included incidents of indecent and sexual assault, as well as a more serious charge of engaging in penetrative sexual activity without consent, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Patrick Gibbs, Spacey’s defense lawyer, stated that his client denied all allegations of non-consensual sexual conduct. Gibbs emphasized that Spacey had returned to the UK, as promised, to face the charges and would provide a detailed account of what actually transpired, dispelling rumors and speculation.
The prosecution outlined the allegations made by the four men, stating that Spacey had repeatedly groped and grabbed the victims, forced their hands onto his genitals, and even performed oral sex on one of them while he was asleep. Agnew recounted an incident where Spacey aggressively grabbed a man’s crotch, causing him pain. When the man expressed his anger and demanded that Spacey never touch him again, the actor allegedly laughed and commented that the anger turned him on.
The incidents in question occurred during Spacey’s time working at the Old Vic theater in London over a period of more than a decade. The prosecution noted that Spacey claimed to have no memory of some of his accusers but acknowledged the possibility of having made a clumsy pass at someone he could not recall.
Agnew cautioned the jury, acknowledging that they might feel star-struck, and urged them to carefully consider whether the accusers were fabricating allegations for financial gain. She presented the prosecution’s perspective that Spacey had abused his power and influence, leveraging his reputation and fame.
Gibbs, in his defense, stressed that there were two sides to the stories presented. He asked the jury to examine the facts, assess whether the encounters were consensual, and consider the motivations of the accusers in making their complaints. He acknowledged that the jury would hear some truths, some half-truths, deliberate exaggerations, and what he described as “many damned lies.”
The trial is expected to last approximately four weeks
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