Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty To More Sexual Assault Charges In UK

Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty To More Sexual Assault Charges In UK

Kevin Spacey has pled not guilty to seven charges relating to alleged sexual assaults in the UK.

The Academy Award-winning actor appeared today at the Southwark Crown Court via video link. Wearing a black suit, shirt and a light colored tie, he spoke to confirm his real name, Kevin Fowler, and then deny all seven charges put to him.

The charges were brought by a single male complainant and the incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2001 and 2004. They span three counts of indecent assault, three of sexual assault and one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

A trial date has been set for June 6, 2023 — the date previously given to a case brought by three men that Spacey pled not guilty to back in July last year. Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs, verbally agreed to join the cases, meaning they will now be dealt with in one single trial, which is expected to take about four weeks. The defence can still ask for separate trials but has a deadline of March 24 to do so, while there is some wiggle room around the trial date, though the case must have a verdict by the end of July.

In total, Spacey faces 12 charges, all of which relate to the period he lived in London when he was Artistic Director of the Old Vic Theatre. He has already been granted unconditional bail and had previously appeared at a pre-hearing on December 16 to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

The next major step is a pre-trial review that was today set for April 5, though other pre-trial hearings will take place.

It has been a busy beginning of the year for Spacey, who on Monday (January 16), is set to be honored at an event organized by Italy’s National Cinema Museum in the northern city of Turin. The two-time Academy Award winner will give a public masterclass, moderated by the museum’s director Domenico De Gaetano and then receive the institution’s Stella della Mole Award for lifetime achievement.

Spacey, known for films such as American Beauty and The Usual Suspects and Netflix’s drama House of Cards, has seen his career upended since allegations relating to his sexual conduct began surfacing. Actor Anthony Rapp went public with allegations about his sexual conduct in 2017 and a series of other complaints followed in both the U.S. and UK.

In October, Spacey was not found liable in a $40M lawsuit Rapp brought against him, with a Manhattan jury taking only just over an hour to reach their verdict.