Kevin Spacey grabbed man’s crotch ‘like a cobra getting hold’ after ‘vile’ sexual comments, court told
Kevin Spacey subjected a man he met at a celebrity event to a “barrage” of “vile” sexual comments before grabbing his crotch “like a cobra getting hold”, a court has been told.
Jurors at Southwark Crown Court in London heard this evidence from the third of four men who have accused the Hollywood actor of sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in the UK between 2001 and 2013.
On Wednesday, footage was played in court of the police interview given by the complainant, in which he told an officer that Spacey made “hardcore” sexual comments.
The latest developments from court
The man told the officer he remembered “freezing and pushing his arm away” when the actor allegedly grabbed him, describing the whole encounter as a “visceral” and “degrading” experience.
In his interview, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he met Spacey, now 63, at a celebrity event. His first impressions were that the actor seemed “very arrogant” and “smelled of booze”, the court heard.
He told the officer Spacey started making crude comments. “It was very aggressive,” the man said. “I have never had anyone talk to me in that way.”
The complainant said he was “shocked” and “taken aback”, and questioned why the actor would think he was that “sleazy”.
Elizabeth Cook/PA
‘An abuse of his power’
“He made me feel worthless,” the complainant said, telling the officer that the “barrage” of “vile comments” were as bad as the alleged physical assault.
Describing this, the complainant said Spacey “was like a cobra and grabbed with such force it was really painful”, and it was “like a cobra coming out and getting hold”.
He said the touching was not in any way “romantic or flattering”, but “aggressive” and “angry”.
Asked why he decided to come forward years after the alleged incident, the complainant said it was as if he had “allowed somebody, in a way, to denigrate me”.
He told police: “I hope he does the right thing – if he apologises then maybe I won’t want him to go to court.”
The complainant said he put his allegations “in a box” initially because the Oscar-winning actor was seen as a “golden boy”, but that it “had a detrimental effect on my life”.
In the footage, he tells the officer that while Spacey is a celebrity, he should “still know right from wrong” and that what he allegedly did was an “abuse of his power”.
Latest evidence and the charges against Spacey
On Wednesday, the court also heard evidence from the second alleged victim, who told jurors that Spacey invited him and others back to a countryside property he was staying at, where he allegedly kissed him on the neck and grabbed his crotch.
Under cross-examination, the alleged victim denied being motivated by money in coming forward.
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 trial continues.
They’re getting through 70kg of rice a day and the wholesaler has run out of noodles. Yes, Sumo returns to London on Wednesday.
It’s just the second time a Grand Tournament has been held outside of Japan – and this is a sport that has records going back more than 1,500 years.
It’s 34 years since the Royal Albert Hall hosted the only previous such event on foreign soil – and the appetite for tickets meant all five days sold out immediately.
Much of the focus is on the two grand champions or yokozuna, the 74th and 75th men to attain the rank.
They’re the Mongolian Hoshoryu Tomokatsu, plus Japan’s Onosato Daiki – who this year became the quickest wrestler to achieve the rank in the modern era.
“I’m happy that Sumo is back after so many years,” Onosato said. “I hope I can show the UK fans how fantastic Sumo is.”
“Being a yokozuna has a lot of responsibility,” Hoshoryu told Sky Sports. “We have to show everyone an example of what a yokozuna is – and that’s very difficult.
“My uncle was a yokozuna – and I’m happy to follow in his footsteps. But I came here to London as a yokozuna which he didn’t, so I’m even happier.”
The two are already great rivals.
Onosato Daiki became the quickest ever to achieve yokozuna rank. Pic: AP
At the recent Aki Basho – the most prestigious tournament on the sumo calendar – the pair finished with identical records after 15 days of bouts.
It all came down to a final play-off between the two yokozuna – the first time that had happened in 16 years. It was Onosato who came out on top on that occasion.
Hoshoryu says he is a big fan of basketball and football. He follows Chelsea, although his favourite players are going back a bit: “Didier Drogba and Petr Cech. He’s the ‘keeper. I like this guy!”
Early starts and a hearty stew: The life of a rikishi
The wrestlers – or rikishi – have a rigorous training regime.
They live in communal blocks called stables and practice starts early. Perhaps surprisingly, everyone skips breakfast. After training and practice – and for the younger rikishi, chores – the wrestlers all eat together.
The staple of their diet is chankonabe, a hearty stew packed with meat and vegetables. The feeding of the 40 rikishi who have come over for the five-day tournament is a challenge in itself.
Donagh Collins, the CEO of co-organisers Askonas Holt, said: “We are going through 70 kilos of rice a day. Somebody told me that the wholesaler for the noodles has run out of noodles. We’re really pushing the system here.”
The ring – or dohyo – is just 4.55m in diameter and quite small when two giant wrestlers leap at each other.
The aim of the fights is to either get your opponent onto the floor – or, more spectacularly, shove or hurl them out of the dohyo, so spectators in the ringside seats may be getting extremely up-close to the wrestlers.
The last time the tournament was in Britain, the massive Konishiki, known as the Dump Truck, took centre stage.
The giant Hawaiian was the heaviest-ever rikishi coming in at 287kg – or 45 stone. That’s a lot of wrestler to dodge if he comes falling out of the ring towards you.
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The Royal Albert Hall may be firstly a concert venue, but it has hosted the likes of John McEnroe, Lennox Lewis and even Muhammad Ali.
And for the next five days, the cream of the world of sumo will be thrilling the crowds – provided a new noodle supplier is found.
What is a yokozuna?
Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo, with its name meaning “horizontal rope” and refers to the rope worn around a competitor’s waist as they enter the ring.
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