Topline
Actor Kevin Spacey—who will stand trial later this month on 12 sex offense charges in London after his career was derailed by numerous sexual misconduct allegations—said he plans to return to acting if he’s cleared of those charges in an interview with a German news outlet.
Actor Kevin Spacey will stand trial later this month on 12 sex offense charges in London.
Key Facts
Spacey, 63, plans to make a comeback after the June trial, telling German publication ZEITmagazin he knows “there are people right now who are ready to hire [him]” as soon as he’s cleared of the charges.
The two-time Oscar winner told the news outlet that when the allegations were initially reported in 2017 people were “very afraid” that if they supported him, they would be “canceled.”
Spacey did not discuss the ongoing London case with the German publication but did mention the assault and battery charges he was acquitted of in New York last October, saying, “the moment scrutiny is applied, these things fall apart.”
ZEITmagazin conducted the interview last month and published it Wednesday.
Crucial Quote
“I’m not trying to even the score,” Spacey told ZEITmagazin. “I have no interest in fighting something that’s not worth fighting against.” Stacey also told the publication that he believes the ongoing scandals won’t be his legacy, saying: “In 10 years, it won’t mean anything,” adding, “My work will live longer than I will, and that’s what will be remembered.”
Key Background
Allegations about Spacey’s misconduct first surfaced in 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp told Buzzfeed News Spacey made an unwanted sexual advance toward him when he was 14 years old. Since then, more than two dozen other accusations have surfaced, including some from individuals who were teenagers at the time of the alleged misconduct. A 2017 internal investigation at London’s Old Vic Theater—where Spacey served as artistic director from 2004 to 2015—found 20 former actors and theater personnel who accused Spacey of misconduct. Last fall, Spacey was found not liable for assault and battery after Rapp sued Spacey for $40 million. In a separate case, Spacey had indecent-assault charges dropped in 2019 stemming from accusations he groped a busboy at the Club Car restaurant in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Spacey was also accused of harassing some cast and crew members on the set of his Netflix series House of Cards. He was later fired from the show and his character was written off. While Spacey has denied some claims, like the one made by Rapp, he has not commented on many of the other allegations made against him.
What To Watch For
Spacey is facing 12 sex offense charges from events that allegedly took place from 2001 to 2013 in a London trial set to start later this month. Last July, Spacey pleaded not guilty to five of those charges, including four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. In January, he pleaded not guilty to seven more offense charges. The four-week trial on the charges will begin June 28, the Guardian reported.
Further Reading
Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty To 7 Sexual Offense Charges (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/06/14/kevin-spacey-plans-acting-return-if-hes-cleared-of-sexual-misconduct/