Kevin Spacey Pleads ‘Not Guilty’ to Sexual Assault Charges in London

Kevin Spacey appeared today at London’s Old Bailey Central Criminal Court where the actor pleaded “not guilty” to four charges of sexually assaulting three men. He entered an additional plea of “not guilty” to a charge of “causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.”

Spacey’s trial, which will likely be held in the Old Bailey, is scheduled to begin June 6, 2023 and will last for three to four weeks. A further hearing will be held prior at some point earlier in 2023. The judge has granted Spacey unconditional bail until then.

The 62-year-old actor has been accused of assaulting three men in London and Gloucestershire between 2005 and 2013, during which was artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London. He was formally charged after voluntarily entering the U.K. last month.

The five charges include: two counts of sexual assault on a man in London in March 2005; sexual assault on a man and causing him to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent, in London in August 2008; and sexual assault on a man in Gloucestershire in April 2013.

During a hearing last month at the Westminster magistrates court, Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs QC, confirmed that the actor “strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case.”

In a statement provided to Rolling Stone in May, Spacey said, “I very much appreciate the Crown Prosecution Service’s statement in which they carefully reminded the media and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial, and innocent until proven otherwise. While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence.”

Along with the criminal charges in the U.K., Spacey is facing a lawsuit filed by Anthony Rapp, who was the first person to publicly accuse the actor of sexual misconduct in 2017. Rapp sued Spacey in Sept. 2020, claiming the actor assaulted him in a Manhattan apartment after befriending him while they both worked on Broadway. Rapp claimed a visibly intoxicated Spacey picked him up, put him on a bed, climbed on top of him, and made sexual advances before Rapp was able to flee. Spacey has denied the allegations. 

Spacey has faced other allegations and legal actions as well, though not many have come to fruition. In 2019, He pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent assault and battery tied to a 2016 incident where he was accused of sticking his hand down an 18-year-old man’s pants and grabbing his genitals, but those charges were dropped after the alleged victim called off a civil suit. Another lawsuit filed by a John Doe was put on hold after the alleged victim died in Sept. 2019.

In recent months, Spacey has also begun trying to return to professional acting. Peter Five Eight, a noir drama with Spacey’s first starring role since his career came to a halt in 2017, screened out-of-competition at Cannes. It was also announced that he will star in the historical drama, 1242. 

From Rolling Stone US.