Kevin Spacey remains at large after a first trial date in London on allegations of sexual assault. That was decided by a judge on Thursday at the start of the criminal case against the Hollywood star in London. A previously issued arrest warrant was lifted. According to the court, there is no risk of absconding. Spacey did not have to give up his passport either.
The British news agency PA reported that this will allow the 62-year-old to return to the United States until his next hearing at Southwark Crown Court on July 14. Spacey reportedly traveled to the UK earlier in the week, enabling the official indictment and trial to begin.
The two-time Oscar winner (“The Usual Suspects”, “American Beauty”) faces four counts of sexual assault allegations against three different men. The alleged acts are said to have happened between 2005 and 2013 in London and the county of Gloucestershire. In another case, the charge is “penetrative sexual activity without consent”. According to his lawyer, Spacey denies all the allegations.
When Spacey arrived outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning, he was surrounded by a crowd of reporters and cameramen. He was only able to make his way into the courthouse with difficulty. He did not respond to journalists’ questions. However, he seemed confident and smiled. According to the PA, Spacey only gave his name and address during the almost 30-minute hearing. Before the start of the trial, Spacey told US broadcaster ABC that he was optimistic that the trial would prove his innocence.
In the fall of 2017, allegations of sexual assault and harassment against Spacey emerged as part of the #MeToo debate. The Old Vic Theater in London, of which Spacey was artistic director between 2004 and 2015, reported in the same year that it had received 20 complaints about inappropriate behavior against the American.
Spacey lost his role on the Netflix series House of Cards. There, too, crew members had accused him of sexual harassment. He also had to pay the production company MRC $ 31 million (about 27.6 million euros at the time) in compensation for lost revenue. Scenes involving Spacey were also subsequently removed from the film All the Money in the World. His role was then taken over by actor Christopher Plummer, who died in February 2021. After several years of avoiding the public eye, Spacey landed his first minor role in the Italian film L’uomo che disegnò Dio in 2021.
