LONDON — Kevin Spacey appeared in a London courtroom on Wednesday for the start of his month-long jury trial in which he is accused of sex offense charges against four men. Spacey, 63, an Oscar-winning actor, denies all of the allegations and has previously said that he hopes he can revitalize his career once he has proved his innocence and the London trial is over. The American actor’s career nosedived after a string of sexual misconduct allegations emerged in the United States and United Kingdom.
English
Kevin Spacey faces sexual assault charges as he appears in London court
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In the London trial, Kevin Spacey Fowler — the case is listed under his full name — has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges that include sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence. Opening statements are expected Friday.
Here’s what you need to know.
The American actor is facing a dozen charges against four men. Last May, U.K. prosecutors authorized five charges stemming from incidents with three men; in November, they added seven charges involving a fourth man. The alleged incidents are said to have taken place between 2001 and 2013.
The trial before a jury is being held at London’s Southwark Crown Court and is set to last four weeks. The allegations stem from incidents that are said to have happened in the U.K. Spacey previously served as the artistic director of London’s Old Vic Theater from 2004 to 2015, during which time he starred in many of the venue’s high-profile productions. Spacey still has an apartment in London.
What about the other U.S. cases?
Since he was first accused of sexual misconduct in 2017 by the actor Anthony Rapp, a string of men have gone public with accusations against Spacey. Some of those have led to legal action. Rapp, who claimed that Spacey had made a sexual advance toward him when he was 14 and Spacey was 26, sued Spacey in civil court. A New York jury ruled in Spacey’s favor.
In 2018, authorities in Massachusetts charged Spacey of indecent assault and battery. He was accused of groping an 18-year-old at a Nantucket bar in 2016. The case was dropped after the main witness failed to testify.
A separate case brought by a California massage therapist, who accused Spacey of sexual assault and battery, was dropped after the alleged victim died.
Is he planning a comeback?
Spacey was one of America’s most celebrated actors before allegations of sexual assault surfaced at the height of the #MeToo movement. He won Oscars for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty,” and was the star of the Netflix drama, “House of Cards.” After the allegations emerged, his career stalled. He was fired from “House of Cards,” and cut from Ridley Scott’s “All the Money in the World,” a film that was completed but reshot with Christopher Plummer.
In his first major interview in five years, Spacey told Germany’s ZEIT magazine: “The media have done their best to turn me into a monster, but from the people, I have seen nothing but
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