Kevin Spacey tells jury of ‘romantic’ touching and consensual sex act – denying sexual assault claims
Kevin Spacey has told his trial he was “flirtatious” and “romantic” with one of his alleged sexual assault victims, and that he had a consensual sexual encounter with another – but has denied accusations of “aggressive” sexual offences.
After hearing several days of evidence from his four accusers and other prosecution witnesses, Spacey entered the witness box at Southwark Crown Court in London on Thursday to have his say for the first time.
At the end of the day, the Hollywood actor described the impact of sexual abuse allegations against him first being made public in the US in 2017, saying his “world exploded” as there was a “rush to judgement”, and that he lost “everything in a matter of days”.
He became emotional, fighting back tears, as he addressed a statement he released in response – in which he also came out as gay publicly for the first time – saying he was “under a lot of pressure” to say something and hoped this would be a “positive” in the wake of the “terrible accusation”.
Read the latest developments from court
The 63-year-old, who is best known for films including The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, as well as political drama House Of Cards, has pleaded not guilty to sexual offence charges relating to four men, which are alleged to have happened in the UK between 2001 and 2013.
Giving evidence, Spacey told jurors he was a “big flirt” – and said when he learned the first complainant had made claims against him, he felt “crushed” that he would “stab me in the back”.
Addressing a separate allegation by another alleged victim, Spacey denied drugging him and said they had a “lovely evening” and a consensual sexual encounter, before the man became “awkward” and “hurriedly” left his flat in London.
First complainant was ‘funny and charming and flirtatious’ – Spacey
The first alleged victim, a driver, has accused the star of sexually assaulting him several times during the early 2000s – including one occasion when he claims Spacey grabbed him “so hard I almost came off the road”.
This “never happened”, Spacey told the court – adding: “I was not on a suicide mission.”
Describing their encounters, the actor said he touched the complainant in “romantic” ways and that they had “a very fun time” together. “He was a lads’ lad,” the star told the court. “He was funny and charming and flirtatious.”
Jurors heard that Spacey and the alleged victim did not have sex because the man “made it clear that he did not want to go any further… and you just respect how far someone wants to go”.
Answering questions from his defence barrister Patrick Gibbs, the star accepted touching the complainant but said: “It did not happen in a violent, aggressive, painful way. It was gentle… and it was in my mind romantic.”
Asked by Mr Gibbs if there was any reluctance from the alleged victim to his advances, Spacey said: “No. The only thing he made clear is he did not want to go any further than we were going and I respected that.”
The man said things such as “this is new for me”, Spacey told the court, “so I think that he may have been surprised by his reaction”.
‘We had a consensual… very nice and lovely evening’
Responding to allegations made by a former aspiring actor – which have led to the most serious charge, of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity – Spacey said he believed they shared an “intimate moment”.
Earlier in the trial, the complainant accused Spacey of drugging him and said he woke to find the actor performing a sex act on him.
“We had had a sexual encounter after which I had gone to the bathroom and I came back from the bathroom and it was like… something had changed,” Spacey told the court.
“The person that I had this intimate moment with was suddenly awkward and fumbling… and I don’t want to say ran out… but hurriedly left. And it felt very odd.”
The man’s behaviour “concerned” him, the actor told the court. He said he rang him after he left to check he was okay.
Spacey denied drugging the man and performing a sex act on him while he was asleep, saying this allegation “makes no sense”.
He told the court. “We had a consensual and, I believe, a very nice and lovely evening. If he regretted it immediately I don’t know, I can’t speak for him, but something was weird – it was strange.”
West End event assault claim ‘madness’
Allegations made by a man who claims Spacey assaulted him during an event at a West End theatre in the mid-2000s were also put to the actor – who described them as “madness”.
The alleged victim has accused the actor of subjecting him to a “barrage of vile” and “hardcore” comments before grabbing his crotch “like a cobra” striking.
“I never said any of the things that he claims I said to him, and wouldn’t – and never have to anyone in my life,” Spacey told the court.
“It never happened,” he said of the alleged incident, and told jurors he did not recognise the man “at all”.
Spacey also told the court that he “primarily” has no issue with the allegation made by a man who claims the actor kissed his neck and grabbed his crotch at a property he was staying at in the Cotswolds in the early 2010s.
The actor told jurors he did not remember doing this but accepts that he might have done. “We all had some drinks…I made a pass and I’m only happy that he testified that the moment he told me he was not interested, I stopped,” he told the court.
Spacey addresses coming out statement in 2017
Towards the end of his evidence, Spacey told jurors he had been looking to come out as gay for two years before he did – in a statement released in response to an allegation of an unwanted sexual advance made by actor Anthony Rapp in the US.
He acknowledged this statement “upset” members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I was under a lot of pressure that I had to say something… if I didn’t it was going to be a nightmare, a PR nightmare,” he told the court.
“Members of the LGBTQ+ community were upset because I came out while I was responding to an accusation… now I understand why it was read that way but I hadn’t put those two things together.”
Spacey continued: “I thought in the face of this terrible accusation maybe I can do something at least positive. The gay community had been pressuring me for a very long time about coming out.”
The allegations made by actor Anthony Rapp against Spacey were found not proven in October 2022.
“Maybe now that the allegation against Mr Anthony Rapp has been proven to be false, maybe people will read [the statement] with a little bit more understanding now,” Spacey said.
The actor is appearing in court under his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler, and has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and indecent assault, one charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one charge of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity, in relation to the four men.
The trial continues.
Entertainment
Scarlett Johansson responds after her likeness is used in AI video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism
Scarlett Johansson has condemned the use of AI after her likeness was used in a viral video of celebrities condemning Kanye West’s antisemitism.
The AI-generated clip shows celebrities such as Johansson, Ben Stiller, Mila Kunis and Steven Spielberg wearing white T-shirts featuring the Star of David inside a hand sticking up its middle finger above Kanye’s name.
It finishes with an AI version of Adam Sandler sticking his middle finger up at the camera and the words: “Enough is enough. Join the fight to end antisemitism.”
An AI David Schwimmer also appears in the video. Pic: Ori Bejerano
But Johansson released a statement about “the misuse of AI”, writing: “I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind.
“But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it.
“We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
She added: “I have unfortunately been a very public victim of AI, but the truth is that the threat of AI affects each and every one of us.”
She called on the US government to do more to limit AI, adding: “There is a 1,000ft wave coming regarding AI that several progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded to in a responsible manner. It is terrifying that the US government is paralysed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI.
“I urge the US government to make the passing of legislation limiting AI use a top priority; it is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large.”
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Kanye West. Pic: AP
Controversy surrounding swastika T-shirts
It comes amid a backlash after West, also known as Ye, sold T-shirts featuring a swastika and wrote a series of antisemitic messages on X.
On Sunday the US rapper bought a Super Bowl advert which directed people to his website, which featured nothing but a single white T-shirt with a swastika on the front alongside the code “HH-01” – which the Anti-Defamation League (ADF) said was code for “Heil Hitler”.
The ADF described the shirt, which was on sale for $20 (£16) as “further proof” of West’s antisemitism.
The e-commerce platform Spotify, which hosts many online shops and businesses, later deactivated his site.
In an emailed statement to Sky News’ partner network NBC News, Shopify said: “All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms so we removed them from Shopify.”
yeez.com was taken offline by Shopify, the e-commerce platform hosting his shop
Antisemitic online posts
In recent days West posted antisemitic messages on X, as well as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi”.
His account then had a “sensitive content warning” added before he deactivated it on Monday.
His spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos said: “Ye is an intergenerational artist and icon who continues to redefine the limits of creativity and free expression. He has deactivated his X account for the time being.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism was joined by Friends star David Schwimmer, who features in the AI video, in calling for Elon Musk to remove West from X over a string of offensive posts.
A$AP Rocky will not give evidence at his trial over allegations he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator.
In court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the 36-year-old rapper was asked by Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold if he had discussed the issue with his lawyers.
“Absolutely, your honour,” Rocky replied, saying he would invoke America’s Fifth Amendment right to silence. “I want my right not to testify.”
The rapper faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted. Pic: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via AP
The star’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, previously said he was “eager to tell his story” and would “love the opportunity to do so”, but putting a defendant through a potentially long cross-examination can often be risky in criminal cases.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of firing a gun at Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, a former friend and member of the A$AP crew of collaborators they were part of at school in New York.
Ephron gave evidence earlier in the trial, saying their friendship had broken down and a feud allegedly came to a head on an evening in November 2021.
At the start of the trial, jurors were shown surveillance videos that prosecutors argue make it clear Rocky fired a gun at Ephron outside a parking garage in Hollywood.
However, Mr Tacopina said in his defence opening statement that the gun was not real, but rather a starter pistol carried as a prop. Ephron has been driven by “jealousy, lies and greed”, he told the court.
Terell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli, says Rocky fired a gun at him. Pic: Frazer Harrison/Pool via AP
‘Non-lethal form of self-defence’
On Monday, Rocky’s tour manager Lou Levin became the second witness from his inner circle to testify that he carried a fake gun for security.
The star’s house had previously been broken into by a stalker and others, he said, so he told him it made sense to carry it.
“Security and I thought it would be a good idea, because of the prior violence,” Mr Levin told the court. “It’s just a non-lethal form of self-defence.”
Rocky’s partner Rihanna has attended court to show support on several days during the trial. Pic: AP/Liam McEwan
The gun had come from a video shoot in the summer of 2021, he said, about three months before the night in question.
The defence has said it does not have the starter pistol now. The authorities also did not recover the pistol they allege was used.
Rocky is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Ahead of the trial, he turned down a plea deal that could have led to a 180-day jail sentence, in exchange for a guilty plea on one count.
He faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
The defence has now rested its case, with closing arguments from both sides expected later this week.
A Grammy-nominated music star, actor and fashion mogul, Rocky is the partner of pop superstar Rihanna, and the couple have two young sons.
Rihanna has attended court on several days to show support.
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