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.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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Will Trump address parliament on UK state visit?
This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
A farmer who fell from a greenhouse roof during an anti-immigrant raid at a licensed cannabis facility in California this week has died of his injuries.
Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first person to die as a result of Donald Trump’s Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) raids.
His niece, Yesenia Duran, posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe to say her uncle was his family’s only provider and he had been sending his earnings back to his wife and daughter in Mexico.
The United Food Workers said Mr Alanis had worked on the farm for 10 years.
“These violent and cruel federal actions terrorise American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,” the union said in a recent statement on X.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it executed criminal search warrants at Glass House Farms facilities on Thursday.
Mr Alanis called family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell around 30ft (9m) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources.
Agents arrested 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, the DHS said in a statement.
Mr Alanis was not among them, the agency said.
“This man was not in and has not been in CBP (Customs and Border Protection) or ICE custody,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30ft. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.”
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Four US citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly “assaulting or resisting officers”, the DHS said, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents.
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In a statement, Glass House, a licensed Cannabis grower, said immigration agents had valid warrants. It said workers were detained and it is helping provide them with legal representation.
“Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,” it added.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Will Trump address parliament on UK state visit?
This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
Read more from Sky News:
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
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