American actor Kevin Spacey, tried in London for sexual assault, continued on Friday to deny the charges against him, citing “consensual” relationships with some of the complainants. The 63-year-old star, who has been on trial since late June, pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of sexual assault on four men between 2001 and 2013, including from 2004 when he was director of London’s Old Vic theatre.
The four plaintiffs who testified during the trial at Southwark Crown Court in London recounted the assaults they claim to have suffered and the difficulties in denouncing the behavior of a star as influential as Kevin Spacey. The actor, who appears free, continued Friday to deny in block. Questioned by prosecutor Christine Agnew, he spoke of “consensual interactions” with two of the complainants, one of whom accuses him of having assaulted him while he was driving and the other of whom claims to have been “drugged”. and assaulted when he was dozing.
Kevin Spacey denies any ‘violent’ and ‘aggressive’ behavior
Regarding the latter, “I don’t know who made the first move, but we were together in a consensual way in a romantic situation,” said Kevin Spacey. “He did not fall asleep and I did not perform a sexual act on him while he slept, despite the shocking accusations he made to me,” he added, considering that the file of the prosecution was “weak”. Kevin Spacey also claimed that a third plaintiff “made up his story from start to finish” by accusing the actor of violently grabbing his crotch.
Thursday, when he spoke for the first time during the trial, Kevin Spacey had already denied any “violent”, “aggressive” or “painful” behavior. He had recounted mutual flirting relationships, calling himself a “big flirty” and said he was “broken” by the accusations. When the first accusations in the United States emerged on the internet in 2017, “I lost my job, I lost my reputation, I lost everything in a few days,” said Kevin Spacey on Thursday. Accused of sexual touching by actor Anthony Rapp at a party dating back to 1986, he was found not guilty last October by a New York civil court.
The trial of the American actor, twice Oscar winner for his roles in “American Beauty” and “Usual Suspects”, should last a month.