Kevin Spacey Says He Was ‘Under A Lot Of Pressure’ When He Came Out As Gay In Response To Misconduct Allegations

K.J. Yossman Over the five weeks I’ve spent reporting on Kevin Spacey’s trial for sexual assault, I’ve been struck more than once by how much the experience could be mistaken for an immersive theater show.

One of the highest-profile entertainment biz legal cases ever has been playing out in a London courtroom over the past month, and Deadline has been following every step of the way.

Kevin Spacey was “tried by social media” and “cancelled” after he was accused of sexual assaults, Southwark Crown Court heard today as the Oscar-winner’s defense rested its case.

The prosecution in Kevin Spacey's criminal sexual assault trial claimed the actor got away with his behavior because of his celebrity status in closing arguments Wednesday. Spacey seized brief moments for an "opportunity grab" and was able to get away with the assaults for years, because he was a celebrity who took advantage of his power, prosecutor Christine Agnew said. Spacey is on trial after pleading not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, just testified in Kevin Spacey‘s ongoing trial in London.

Kevin Spacey denied that groping is his "trademark" pickup move during his second day of testimony in his criminal sexual assault trial taking place in London. The two-time Oscar winner stuck to his testimony from a day earlier in which he insisted he never sexually assaulted three of the four accusers who described encounters between 2001 and 2013.The acts allegedly escalated from unwanted touching to aggressive fondling to one instance of performing an oral sex act on an unconscious man. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Kevin Spacey testified Thursday during his ongoing sexual assault trial in London. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.The charges stem from allegations involving four different men. Taking the stand, Spacey denied violently groping one of his accusers and instead painted a picture of their "intimate" and "somewhat sexual" relationship for the jury.

Kevin Spacey took the stand Thursday in his sexual assault trial in London, denying allegations made by four accusers and telling the jury that he considered his actions with one of the men «romantic.» The Hollywood star was in the witness box for the first time during the trial, at which he's facing a total of 12 charges including sexual assault, indecent assault and one more serious charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.Spacey has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, which stem from allegations made by four men over incidents that occurred in the U.K. over a two decade period.Giving evidence at London's Southwark Crown Court, the Academy award winner said he had a consensual relationship with one of his accusers that was «somewhat intimate.» Spacey said he had been flirtatious with the man and that a relationship «developed over time.»«We enjoyed each other's company,» the actor told the court, adding that he «would have taken the lead.» Spacey said he had touched the man in «intimate» areas and that while there was consensual sexual activity between them, he denied committing any forceful act.«It did not happen in a violent, aggressive, painful way… it was gentle and, in my mind, romantic,» Spacey said.

Kevin Spacey has begun taking to the stand and defending himself against the numerous sexual assault allegations during his U.K. trial this week.

Kevin Spacey took the witness stand today during his trial in London.

K.J. Yossman Kevin Spacey has addressed his controversial 2017 statement in which he came out as gay in response to Anthony Rapp’s accusation of sexual misconduct. “Members of the LGBTQ+ community were upset because I came out while I was responding to an accusation and now I understand why it was read that way,” Spacey told a court in London, U.K. “It wasn’t how I intended it.” The actor is giving evidence in the third week of his trial at Southwark Crown Court. He has pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of sexual assault against four different men. In 2017, Rapp was the first man to come forward publicly with his allegation of sexual misconduct, telling Buzzfeed the “House of Cards” actor had made sexual advances towards Rapp at a party when Rapp was 14 years old.

Kevin Spacey told a U.K. court on Thursday that his alleged accuser was “charming” and “funny” when they met and that he touched him in a “romantic” way. The man was “flirtatious,” Spacey said and that the touching did not happen in an “aggressive” or “violent” way. “I’m a big flirt,” Spacey said when asked if he was flirtatious himself. “We had a very fun time together,” the actor told the court. The man said that the experience was new for him but did not want to go further. “I respected that,” Spacey said. The accuser claims that Spacey sexually assaulted him a few times in the early 2000s. When asked by his barrister, Patrick Gibbs KC, about the events that he attended during the dates when the alleged assaults took place, Spacey said that he went through boxes of contracts and looked online to collect evidence of his whereabouts. “I happen to keep everything,” Spacey said.

Kevin Spacey is to take the witness box today as his defense in his UK sexual offences trial begins.

Another of Kevin Spacey‘s accusers is sharing his recollection of their time together in court.

An aspiring actor who accused Kevin Spacey of drugging and assaulting him admitted he joked to his friends about potentially sleeping with Spacey if he couldn't find jobs. "It became a running joke, and that’s me running with the joke," he said of the mockery he made of the incident for a "sense of catharsis." On Monday, the man – who has remained anonymous – admitted that he turned to humor to cope with the traumatic event. He testified that he fell asleep at Spacey's apartment before he woke up to Spacey performing oral sex on him.

An aspiring actor woke up to find Kevin Spacey performing a sex act on him after falling asleep at the two-time Oscar winner’s London flat, a court has heard.

K.J. Yossman One of Kevin Spacey’s alleged victims woke up in the actor’s flat to find Spacey sexually assaulting him, a U.K. court heard today. The fourth and final alleged victim gave evidence on Monday morning via a pre-recorded police interview video. In the video, he described how he had written to Spacey hoping to connect with the actor in 2008. The complainant said he remembered then unexpectedly received a telephone call from Spacey inviting him for a drink. “I said ‘fuck off’ because I thought it was a friend taking the mick,” the alleged victim told police. Once he realized the call was real, he said, he felt “starstruck” and immediately agreed to meet him later that day.

One of Kevin Spacey's accusers described during the actor's ongoing London criminal trial the moment he claims the "House of Cards" star groped him. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.  The charges stem from allegations from four different men. One man who testified Wednesday claimed Spacey made sexual and racially offensive comments to him before allegedly groping him.

An alleged victim of Kevin Spacey has said he put his allegations “in a box” initially because the Oscar-winning actor was seen as a “golden boy.”

K.J. Yossman Kevin Spacey allegedly grabbed a man’s genitalia after bombarding him with aggressively sexual comments during a charity event, a U.K. court heard today. The prosecution played the alleged victim’s pre-recorded police interview to the jury on Wednesday morning, in which he said that Spacey had arrived at the event in 2005 in the middle of the morning smelling of alcohol and looking as though he had been up all night. After the complainant found himself briefly alone with Spacey, he said the actor bombarded him with aggressive sexual questions, including asking him “Have we fucked?,” “Do you have a big cock?” and “What’s your cock like?”