London — Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey appeared in a court in London on Thursday on suspicion of sexual assault.
Almost five years after the accusations began to appear against him, 62-year-old Spacey faces four sexual assault charges in the United Kingdom.
In a blue suit, Spacey, who appeared at the Westminster Administrative Court, sat alone in the side room, occasionally smiling at the journalists in attendance, but he barely spoke.
He confirmed his name and address in London (he appears as Kevin Spacey Fowler) and read the allegations he was facing. This was probably the first, predominantly procedural phase of a long-term criminal proceeding.
The case will be sent to the Criminal Court, which handles more serious cases, and Spacey will appear for the first time next month. The actual trial will probably not happen for some time. Serious backlog In the British judicial system.
The crime, including the three men indicted by Spacey, is said to have occurred between March 2005 and April 2013, when Spacey was the artistic director of the Oldvic Theater in London.
“Between August 1, 2008 and August 31, 2008” allegations of sexual activity without permission quoted “sexual activity with mouth penetration” in the penis, “disagree, he disagrees. I didn’t reasonably believe he agreed. “
Patrick Gibbs, Spacey’s legal representative, told the court that Spacey had denied all accusations and decided to “establish his innocence.”
Prosecutor Natalie Dawson asked the court to prevent Spacey from leaving Britain, saying there was “substantial reason” for him not to return to trial. Denying this, Gibbs said Spacey would voluntarily travel to Britain for a hearing and would do so for a future court day.
Spacey also had to travel and attend auditions for work, but Gibbs said his life was primarily based in the United States. That included “his 9-year-old dog,” Gibbs added.
Judge Tan Ikram, who awarded the unconditional bail and presided over the hearing, said he was “not convinced” that there was a real risk that Mr. Spacey would not be able to attend future courts.
Spacey, who won an Academy Award for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty” since the #MeToo movement gained widespread attention in 2017, is one of the celebrities accused of sexual assault.
However, his appearance in London, along with Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, is one of the few cases to reach court.
Celebrity spotters are often seen outside of famous proceedings, hoping to get a glimpse of the problematic star, but on Thursday, the spectator Scrum appeared to be a journalist and photographer entirely. .. After spending a little over an hour in court, Spacey left without commenting on Mercedes.
