Kevin Spacey Branded “Sexual Bully” as U.K. Trial Gets Underway – The Hollywood Reporter

Kevin Spacey has been labeled an “extremely famous actor who has won a number of awards” but also a “sexual bully,” a “man who sexually assaults other men,” and someone who “it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable,” by the prosecutor in her opening remarks at the two-time Oscar winner’s criminal trial in London.

Speaking at Southwark Crown Court on Friday morning and with Spacey sitting in the dock, Christine Agnew KC acknowledged to the 14-strong jury that they may well feel “starstruck or overwhelmed” about being involved in such a case with high-profile defendant, but urged them to “stay grounded.”

Spacey, 63, faces 12 charges from four different men, all dating between 2001 and 2013 — a period when he was living and working in London — and including seven counts of sexual assault, three counts 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. He has denied them all.

Agnew said that the four men — who were all in their 20s or 30s when the assaults were alleged to have taken place — did not know each other, but all had the “misfortune to attract” Spacey’s attention.

“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.”

Before going into explicit detail about the accusations from the four men, two of whom came into Spacey’s orbit through the Old Vic Theatre, where Spacey was artistic director between 2004 and 2015, Agnew said that the actor’s preferred method of assault was to “aggressively grab other men in the crotch.”

Jurors were then told the stories from the complainants, as read out by Agnew.

One accused Spacey of repeated “inappropriate and unwelcome touching,” which then became more “aggressive” and escalated to Spacey grabbing and groping the alleged victim. The second complainant asserted that he had met Spacey at the Haymarket Theater, where, while showing him backstage, had “grabbed my penis with such force it was painful.” In response, Spacey “simply laughed and commented that his getting angry simply turned him on.” The third complainant, the jury heard, had gone back to the actor’s apartment, where he woke up to find Spacey performing oral sex on him. The fourth accused Spacey of twice grabbing his crotch.

Concluding her statement, Agnew said 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, taking what and who he wanted, when he wanted.”

In response, Spacey’s defense counsel Patrick Gibbs explained to the jury that they needed to examine the stories and ask themselves what had been “reimagined with a sinister spin.” While he acknowledged that they may hear “some truths and some half-truths” from the prosecution, he claimed they would also hear “many damned lies” and said it important to question whether the complainants wanted something from Spacey given his “wealth and influence,” both at the time the assaults are said to have taken place, and later when coming forward to make their complaints.

With both sides having set out their stalls, Judge Mark Wall adjourned the trial until Monday, July 3, when the evidence will start being presented. It is still unknown whether Spacey himself will take the stand.

The trial is the first in the U.K. faced by the actor since accusations of sexual assault first broke in 2017. He could face a prison sentence if found guilty.

Earlier this month, speaking to the German ZEITmagazin, Spacey said he anticipated working again almost immediately were he to be found not guilty in the U.K. trial. “I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London,” Spacey said. “The second that happens, they’re ready to move forward.”

Kevin Spacey has been labeled an “extremely famous actor who has won a number of awards” but also a “sexual bully,” a “man who sexually assaults other men,” and someone who “it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable,” by the prosecutor in her opening remarks at the two-time Oscar winner’s criminal trial in London.

Speaking at Southwark Crown Court on Friday morning and with Spacey sitting in the dock, Christine Agnew KC acknowledged to the 14-strong jury that they may well feel “starstruck or overwhelmed” about being involved in such a case with high-profile defendant, but urged them to “stay grounded.”

Spacey, 63, faces 12 charges from four different men, all dating between 2001 and 2013 — a period when he was living and working in London — and including seven counts of sexual assault, three counts 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. He has denied them all.

Agnew said that the four men — who were all in their 20s or 30s when the assaults were alleged to have taken place — did not know each other, but all had the “misfortune to attract” Spacey’s attention.

“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.”

Before going into explicit detail about the accusations from the four men, two of whom came into Spacey’s orbit through the Old Vic Theatre, where Spacey was artistic director between 2004 and 2015, Agnew said that the actor’s preferred method of assault was to “aggressively grab other men in the crotch.”

Jurors were then told the stories from the complainants, as read out by Agnew.

One accused Spacey of repeated “inappropriate and unwelcome touching,” which then became more “aggressive” and escalated to Spacey grabbing and groping the alleged victim. The second complainant asserted that he had met Spacey at the Haymarket Theater, where, while showing him backstage, had “grabbed my penis with such force it was painful.” In response, Spacey “simply laughed and commented that his getting angry simply turned him on.” The third complainant, the jury heard, had gone back to the actor’s apartment, where he woke up to find Spacey performing oral sex on him. The fourth accused Spacey of twice grabbing his crotch.

Concluding her statement, Agnew said 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, taking what and who he wanted, when he wanted.”

In response, Spacey’s defense counsel Patrick Gibbs explained to the jury that they needed to examine the stories and ask themselves what had been “reimagined with a sinister spin.” While he acknowledged that they may hear “some truths and some half-truths” from the prosecution, he claimed they would also hear “many damned lies” and said it important to question whether the complainants wanted something from Spacey given his “wealth and influence,” both at the time the assaults are said to have taken place, and later when coming forward to make their complaints.

With both sides having set out their stalls, Judge Mark Wall adjourned the trial until Monday, July 3, when the evidence will start being presented. It is still unknown whether Spacey himself will take the stand.

The trial is the first in the U.K. faced by the actor since accusations of sexual assault first broke in 2017. He could face a prison sentence if found guilty.

Earlier this month, speaking to the German ZEITmagazin, Spacey said he anticipated working again almost immediately were he to be found not guilty in the U.K. trial. “I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London,” Spacey said. “The second that happens, they’re ready to move forward.”