Kevin Spacey trial: ‘Slippery’ actor behaved as if he ‘thought he could groom me’, court hears
Kevin Spacey behaved as if he “thought he could groom” one of his alleged victims of sexual assault – and good-looking young men were warned about the “slippery” Hollywood actor as it was “well known he was up to no good”, a court has heard.
During the first day of evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London, the first of four complainants claimed he was assaulted more than 10 times by Spacey over a period of about four years in the early 2000s – saying the actor put the alleged victim’s hand on his own penis several times, and grabbed him on other occasions.
The man, a driver, was “disgusted” with the alleged sex assaults, the court heard. “The first time that he touched me, it was just a massive shock. I immediately pushed his hand off,” he said.
Read more: Kevin Spacey trial – as it happens in court
Spacey is on trial accused of 12 sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013, and has been described by the prosecution as a “sexual bully”. He has vehemently denied all the charges.
As well as hearing from the alleged victim, jurors watched a recording of his interview with police. In the footage, he described warning the star on one occasion that he would “knock him out” on the journey to an A-list party hosted by Sir Elton John – but the actor was “turned on” by this.
In the footage, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described Spacey, 63, as a “slippery, snaky, difficult person” and a “very mixed-up individual”. He also referenced his serial killer character in the film Seven, saying: “He’s a bit like that, a bit creepy.”
‘Don’t do that again or I will knock you out’
The man said Spacey told him he could introduce him to A-list stars, and said when he tried to fight back against one of the alleged assaults, the actor replied: “That’s such a turn on to me. You’re such a man.”
Describing one alleged incident to police, the man said: “He grabbed me so hard I almost came off the road. He grabbed me really hard and it really hurt. I pushed him against the door and said, ‘Don’t do that again or I will knock you out’.”
Spacey “would squeeze my bum and would rub my legs”, the man said in his police interview.
He also said he had found Spacey walking around his flat naked on occasion, adding: “It’s not something I wanted to see, to be honest.”
‘It was well known he was up to no good’
An artist’s sketch of Kevin Spacey in court earlier in the trial. Pic: Elizabeth Cook/PA
The alleged victim told the officer that young, good-looking men were warned about the actor’s behaviour, and said people would tell them: “You better be careful.”
“It was well known he was up to no good,” he added.
When questioned in court by Spacey’s lawyer Patrick Gibbs KC, the man denied being excited by the actor touching him. He also dismissed the defence lawyer when he asked whether the alleged incidents made him question his sexuality – describing it as a “ridiculous question”.
Asked how Spacey’s alleged actions affected him, the complainant said he suffered “shame, embarrassment and shock”.
It “caused me anxiety”, he told the court, adding that it was not easy to talk about at the time so he largely “blocked it out”.
He continued: “I was struggling with the fact that someone had touched me and I didn’t allow them to. And secondly, he was a major movie star.”
The man told the court he made it “crystal clear” he did not like being touched in that way and denied a suggestion that he “sometimes let him do it and… in fact responded to it”.
Continuing his cross-examination of the alleged victim, Mr Gibbs began to ask: “Didn’t what happened between you…”
The man interjected: “Nothing happened between us – he assaulted me.”
Alleged victim denies ulterior motives for making allegations
He also denied that he had jumped on a “bandwagon” by coming forward, or been motivated by money, saying: “I’m doing well in my life. I could really do without all this… some others have been brave and come forward, so I thought it was time for me to come forward and do the same.”
In his police interview, the man said he could no longer watch any of Spacey’s films or TV programmes.
“I can’t watch a movie with [Spacey] in it… I can’t stand him, it makes me feel physically sick,” he said.
The man told the officer Spacey was “pretending to be nice” but was a “predator” who was “aggressive”.
He added: “He was obviously very messed up with his sexuality.”
The charges against Spacey
Spacey pleaded not guilty in July 2022 to four charges of sexual assault and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
In January this year, he pleaded not guilty to seven further charges – three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
The most serious charge faced by the actor, of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
The trial continues.
Angelina Jolie says although she appreciates being an artist, she would prefer for her legacy to be “a good mother” and to be known for her “belief in equality and human rights”.
The Oscar-winning actress stars as Maria Callas in the new Pablo Larrain film about the opera singer’s life.
Pic: StudioCanal
She has called Maria “the hardest” and “most challenging” role she has had in her career and put months of preparation into immersing herself into the world of opera.
Jolie, who recently reached a divorce settlement with actor Brad Pitt, told Sky News: “To be very candid, it was the therapy I didn’t realise I needed. I had no idea how much I was holding in and not letting out.
“So, the challenge wasn’t the technical [side of opera], it was an emotional experience to find my voice, to be in my body, to express. You have to give every single part of yourself.”
The biopic combines the voice of the Maleficent actress with recordings of Maria Callas.
Jolie believes it “would be a crime to not have [Callas’] voice through this because, in many ways, she is very present in this film”.
Who was Maria Callas?
Born in New York in 1923, Maria Callas was the daughter of Greek immigrants who moved back to Athens at the age of 13 with her mother and sister.
After enrolling at the Athens Conservatory, she made her professional debut at 17 and went on to become one of the most famous faces of opera, travelling around the world and performing at Covent Garden in London, The Met in New York and La Scala in Milan.
Callas’s final operatic performance took place at Covent Garden in 1965 when she was 41 but she continued to work conducting master classes at Juilliard School, doing concert tours and starring in the 1969 film Medea.
Written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, Maria focuses on the artist’s final years in the 1970s when she moved to Paris and disappeared from public view.
She died on 16 September 1977 at the age of 53.
Pic: StudioCanal
Jolie on changing motivations as an actor
Maria follows the life of an artist fully consumed by the art she creates and even remarks that “happiness never developed a beautiful melody”.
Reflecting on her own life in the spotlight, Jolie said she noticed her own career motivations change over the years.
“There’s this kind of study of being human that we do when we create, and we communicate with an audience because our work is not in isolation – it’s a connection.
“I think when I was younger, I had different questions about being human and different feelings and now as I’ve gotten older, I understand some things and now I have different questions.
“It’s a matter of life, right? And so maybe that’s interesting that this now is a character really contemplating death and really contemplating the toll of certain things in life that I, of course, couldn’t have understood in my 20s”.
Jolie at the New York Film Festival in September with three of her children (L-R) Pax, Zahara and Maddox. Pic: AP
A family affair
Two of Jolie’s children, Maddox and Pax, took on production assistant roles during the filming of Maria and witnessed their mother perform opera for the first time in public.
She says the film allowed them to create new experiences together and for her children to see her approach to playing a difficult role.
“Everyone in my home, we all give each other space to be who we are and we’re all different.
“I’m the mom, but I’m also an artist and a person and so my family has been very kind and gives me their understanding. They make fun of me, and they support me and just as you’d hope it would be.”
She adds: “When you play somebody who is dealing with so much pain, it’s very important to come home to some kindness.”
Maria is in cinemas now.
Tom Holland’s dad has confirmed his son’s engagement to Zendaya – revealing how the 28-year-old meticulously planned the proposal.
Zendaya, also 28, sparked engagement rumours when she attended last Sunday’s Golden Globes wearing a sparkling diamond on her ring finger.
Neither star has publicly addressed the rumours but Tom’s comedian father, Dominic Holland, has now confirmed the pair are set to wed.
He wrote in a post on his Patreon account: “Tom, as you know by now was very incredibly well prepared. He had purchased a ring.
“He had spoken with her father and gained permission to propose to his daughter.”
“Tom had everything planned out… When, where, how, what to say, what to wear,” he added.
Zendaya arrived at the Golden Globes with a noticeable piece of new jewellery. Pic: Invision/AP
Dominic also noted that while most men worry about being able to afford an engagement ring, he suspects his actor son was “more concerned with the stone, its size and clarity, its housing, which jeweller”.
Tom and Zendaya met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, when they played the titular hero and his love interest MJ, respectively. Their romance was confirmed in 2021.
In his post, Tom’s father admitted fears over whether being in the spotlight could put a strain on the couple’s relationship.
He wrote: “I do fret that their combined stardom will amplify their spotlight and the commensurate demands on them and yet they continually confound me by handling everything with aplomb.”
“And even though show business is a messy place for relationships and particularly so for famous couples as they crash and burn in public and are too numerous to mention […] yet somehow right at the same time, I am completely confident they will make a successful union.”
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Zendaya rose to fame after landing a role in Disney sitcom Shake It Up, and became a household name after starring in Euphoria.
Holland – who has starred in three Spider-Man films opposite his now-fiancée – made his stage debut in Billy Elliot the Musical in 2008.
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