Topline
Actor Kevin Spacey—who was already set to stand trial later this year for other charges— pleaded not guilty Friday to seven counts of sexual assault he’s accused of perpetrating against one man roughly 20 years ago, bringing the number of sexual offense charges the Oscar-winning actor faces in the U.K. to 12.
Kevin Spacey will return to court on June 6.
Key Facts
Spacey faces three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, with a trial date set for June 6.
Judge Mark Wall joined the seven-count indictment to an earlier five-count indictment in which the actor pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault and one count of forcing a person to engage in “penetrative sexual activity” without their consent.
The seven additional charges are related to one alleged male victim for incidents between 2001 and 2004.
Key Background
Spacey has been accused by several men of sexual misconduct over the last five years, including a 2017 internal investigation at London’s Old Vic Theater—where Spacey served as artistic director from 2004 to 2015—resulting in 20 former actors and theater personnel accusing Spacey of misconduct. The first to publicly come forward with allegations against the actor was Anthony Rapp, who said Spacey made sexual advances toward him when he was 14 and Spacey was 26. Spacey was found not liable for assault and battery in October 2022 after Rapp sued Spacey for $40 million. Prior to the Rapp decision, indecent-assault charges were dropped against Spacey; the charges stemmed from accusations the actor had groped a busboy at The Club Car restaurant in Nantucket, Massachusetts, were dropped in 2019. Since Rapp went public with his allegations, some 30 men have come forward accusing Spacey of crimes ranging from groping to attempted rape of a minor, some of which he has denied.
Tangent
Spacey, who has won Academy Awards for his roles in The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, is set to host an event at Italy’s National Museum of Cinema on January 16 in which the actor will discuss his time in film, according to Deadline. The actor is also set to receive a lifetime achievement award from the museum.
Further Reading
Kevin Spacey Charges With Seven More Sexual Offenses In The U.K. (Forbes)
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/01/13/kevin-spacey-pleads-not-guilty-to-7-sexual-offense-charges/