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Kevin Spacey a ‘sexual bully’ who abused four men, UK court told Kevin Spacey a ‘sexual bully’ who assaulted four men, UK court told
(32 minutes later)
Hollywood actor accused of assaulting men aged from early 20s to early 30s for his own gratification Actor accused of abusing his power and getting thrill out of predatory and aggressive behaviour
The Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey was a “sexual bully” who abused four men for his own sexual gratification, a court has heard. The Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey was a “sexual bully” who abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame gave him to assault four men, a court has heard.
The Hollywood star is accused of “predatory” behaviour against the complainants, then aged in their early 20s to early 30s, who had the “misfortune” of attracting his attention. Spacey is accused of getting a sexual thrill out of his predatory and aggressive behaviour towards the men, who had the “misfortune” of attracting his attention, the court was told. He is alleged to have performed a sex act on one man while he was asleep and grabbed others with such force that it was painful or took their breath away.
Spacey has previously denied 12 charges, including sexual assault and indecent assault, against four men between 2001 and 2013. Wearing a grey suit and yellow tie, the 63-year-old stood in the dock at Southwark crown court in London as the prosecution opened its case. Spacey has previously denied 12 charges, including sexual assault and indecent assault, against four men in their 20s and 30s, between 2001 and 2013. Wearing a grey suit and yellow tie, the 63-year-old stood in the dock at Southwark crown court in London as the prosecution opened its case.
The prosecutor Christine Agnew KC told the jury they may feel “star struck or overwhelmed” to “try such a famous person”. She described Spacey as “an extremely famous actor who has won a number of awards”. The prosecutor Christine Agnew KC told the jury they might feel “starstruck or overwhelmed” to try Spacey, who she described as “an extremely famous actor who has won a number of awards”.
She added: “He is also, the prosecution allege, a man who sexually assaults other men. A man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable – a sexual bully. His preferred method of assault is it appears to grab aggressively other men in the crotch. On one occasion things went further than that.” She added: “He is also, the prosecution allege, a man who sexually assaults other men. A man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who, it would seem, delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable – a sexual bully. His preferred method of assault is, it appears, to grab aggressively other men in the crotch. On one occasion things went further than that.”
She said the alleged offences took place when Spacey was residing and working in the UK. “None of the men wanted to be touched by Kevin Spacey Fowler in a sexual way but he doesn’t seem to have cared very much for their feelings – he did what he wanted to do – for his own personal sexual gratification,” Agnew said. She said the alleged offences took place when Spacey was living and working in the UK. Spacey worked at the Old Vic theatre from 2001 and was artistic director from 2003 to 2015. She said none of the men wanted to be touched by Spacey “but he doesn’t seem to have cared very much for their feelings – he did what he wanted to do – for his own personal sexual gratification”.
Spacey smiled as he arrived at court in a taxi on Friday before entering the dock at 10.30am on the second day of his month-long trial. Spacey, who is on unconditional bail, smiled as he arrived at court in a taxi on Friday, the second day of his month-long trial, before entering the dock at 10.30am.
Agnew told the jury that Spacey suggested some of the allegations were made up. “In relation to others, he accepts that there was a sexual encounter between him and the other man but asserts that anything that took place would have taken place with the consent of the other man,” she added. Patrick Gibbs KC, defending Spacey, suggested to the jurors that the complainants were motivated by his client’s fame and fortune, saying: “Mr Spacey is rich and influential, and the flipside of that is what did they want from his wealth and from his influence, and what do they still want?”
Before the jury panel was selected on Wednesday, the judge, Mr Justice Wall, told prospective jurors: “I am sure the defendant will be gratified to know that many of you will know his name or have seen his films.” Agnew alleged it was Spacey who had exploited his position. She said: “The prosecution suggest that Mr Spacey Fowler abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame afforded him; taking advantage of his popularity and prominence, his illustriousness and influence. Taking what and who he wanted when he wanted.”
The jurors were told the 12 charges on the indictment, which include seven of sexual assault, three of indecent assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Agnew told the court that the seven offences against the first complainant – three of indecent assault, three of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent – allegedly took place in the early 2000s. She suggested that Spacey was banking on the fact that the man would not go to the police, reminding the jurors that the alleged incidents took place 20 years before the #MeToo movement.
Among the charges is an accusation that Spacey forced an alleged victim’s hand against his genitals over clothing on no less than five occasions between 1 May 2004 and 24 June 2005. Spacey is also accused of performing oral sex on an alleged victim without their consent between 1 and 31 August 2008. Spacey is accused of assaulting the man, who worked for him, by groping his genitals and smacking his bottom. On one occasion, Spacey is alleged to have grabbed the man’s penis with such aggression that it took the complainant’s “breath away”. The man, who was driving, almost came off the road and told Spacey that it was painful and he must never do it again. But Spacey “laughed and commented that his getting angry simply turned him on”, the prosecutor said.
In May last year, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent against Spacey. The charges related to alleged offences towards three men – now in their 30s and 40s – in England between 2005 and 2013. Spacey pleaded not guilty to the charges at the Old Bailey in July. In a police interview, Spacey said he was baffled by the man’s claims and deeply hurt if he was “reimagining their time together”.
In November, Spacey was charged with seven additional offences – three of indecent assault, three of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent – against a fourth man between 2001 and 2005. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing in January. Spacey is accused of two counts of sexual assault against a second complainant at a showbusiness event in London in 2005. The man said Spacey made a remark about the size of his penis before touching his leg, the court heard.
Spacey was artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London between 2004 and 2015. He grew up in California but lived in London for more than a decade, previously saying the city had become his home. He now lives in Baltimore in the US. Later, Spacey allegedly grabbed the man’s penis with “such force it was painful”. The man pushed Spacey away, telling him, “no, I’m not like that”, but the actor “simply laughed”, the prosecutor said.
Spacey has won two Oscars: the best supporting actor award for The Usual Suspects in 1996 and best actor in 2000 for American Beauty. In recent years he was best known for his role playing the fictional US president Frank Underwood in Netflix’s House of Cards. He has appeared in the movies Seven, LA Confidential and Baby Driver. Spacey told police he had no recollection of meeting the man, who he claimed was motivated by financial compensation.
Spacey is accused of one count of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent against an aspiring actor who was asleep at the House of Cards star’s flat in Waterloo, south London, in 2008.
The court heard the man had been invited to Spacey’s home after writing to him for acting advice and the pair smoked cannabis and drank beers. Spacey is alleged to have hugged the man before placing his head in the young actor’s crotch.
Agnew said: “[The complainant] recalls feeling vulnerable and thinking that perhaps this was just how people in the acting world acted. This was his last clear memory before he either fell asleep or passed out. He comments that it was unusual for him to sleep or ‘conk out’.
“He awoke some time later with his belt intact but his button and zip of his trousers were down. Kevin Spacey Fowler was next to him on his knees sucking his penis.”
Spacey told police he had no recollection of arranging to meet the man, taking him to his apartment or performing oral sex on someone who did not consent. He accepted that he had smoked cannabis with a great many people over the years.
The fourth alleged victim met Spacey at a pub near Oxford. Later at a property where Spacey was staying, the actor gave what the complainant described as “an awkward man hug”. Spacey allegedly kissed the man’s neck twice during the hug while telling him “be cool, be cool”, before grabbing his crotch.
Of that allegation, Spacey said he had no recollection of kissing anyone’s neck or grabbing their crotch. He accepted that it was “entirely possible and indeed likely” that he had made a clumsy pass at some point in time at someone that he could not recall.
Agnew told the jury that Spacey suggested some of the allegations were made up while some encounters were consensual and that the men were financially motivated.
Spacey denies 12 charges, which include seven of sexual assault, three of indecent assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The trial continues.