Man recounts details of Kevin Spacey's assault on him at a London court

A man accusing American actor Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting him detailed to a London court on Wednesday how the actor behaved towards him with "great violence," asserting that he did not dare to expose him at the time because he was achieving "great success."

Spacey, now 63, whose trial started in London last week, pleaded not guilty in January to 12 charges of sexually assaulting four men between 2001 and 2013, particularly in 2004 when he was the director of a London theater.

One of the accusers, who kept his name confidential for legal reasons, discussed during a police interrogation, the recording of which was played during the trial on Wednesday, how Spacey, whom he described as "very arrogant and smelling of alcohol," sexually assaulted him "so violently that he felt acute pain."

This incident took place in 2005 at a London theater, and the person accusing Spacey of sexually assaulting him was then 28 years old. He said, "What I was subjected to was very violent. No one had ever spoken to me in that way," adding that "the actor justified his action by saying he was homosexual."

Like the other three alleged victims, this man did not expose the actor until the "Me Too" movement began in 2017.

He justified his delay in talking about what happened by saying that Spacey "was enjoying great success at the time."

During this interrogation session, when the police asked him why he finally decided to give his testimony, he responded, "I hope he will do what he should do, and if he apologizes, I may not pursue him legally."

He added, "However, Spacey has not yet realized that what he did was wrong," confirming that this motivated him to give his testimony.

He continued, "At that stage, I forgot the incident and moved on with my life, but what happened has left negative effects on my life and work."

Spacey's trial began last week before the Southwark Crown Court in South London. Spacey, appearing freely, denied these charges, considering some of them fabricated and some other relationships consensual.

Prosecutor Christine Agnew described Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner for his performances in "American Beauty" and "The Usual Suspects," as a "sexual bully," noting that he does not respect the personal boundaries of individuals and "delights in making others feel helpless and uncomfortable."

Spacey's trial is expected to last about a month.

 

AFP