Kevin Spacey Is 'Sexual Bully': Prosecutor Allege As Trial Begins

In a gripping opening statement during the sexual assault trial, in London, of Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, prosecutor Christine Agnew painted a disturbing picture of a man who allegedly took pleasure in preying on other men.

Spacey, 63, is facing a dozen charges involving four men, spanning from 2001 to 2013, during his tenure at London's Old Vic Theatre.

Agnew accused Spacey of escalating his inappropriate behaviour from touchy-feely advances to aggressive fondling and worse, calling the actor a "sexual bully" who disregarded personal boundaries. "His preferred method of assault is, it appears, to grab aggressively other men in the crotch," Agnew asserted, urging the jury to consider the gravity of the accusations.

The stakes are high for Spacey; a conviction may lead to incarceration, whereas an acquittal could pave the road for a professional comeback. In his defence, lawyer Patrick Gibbs maintained that Spacey denied all allegations of non-consensual activity. 

He suggested that Spacey's decision to come out as gay in 2020 had left him vulnerable to opportunists, insinuating that some of the allegations may have been fabricated or exaggerated. Gibbs assured the jury that they would hear a mixture of truths, half-truths, deliberate exaggerations, and what he called "many damned lies."

Facing a dozen charges involving four men, Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to offences ranging from sexual assault to indecent assault and engaging in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The alleged incidents occurred between 2001 and 2013, during Spacey's tenure as artistic director at London's Old Vic Theatre.

During the trial, the court heard harrowing accounts from the four accusers, now in their 30s or 40s, who did not know each other but shared a common thread: their misfortune of attracting Spacey's attention. 

One victim detailed frequent unwanted groping by Spacey in the early 2000s, recounting an incident where the actor, under the influence of alcohol, grabbed his crotch with such force that it left him breathless and nearly caused an accident. When confronted, Spacey allegedly showed callous disregard for the victim's feelings, claiming that his anger turned him on.

Another man described an encounter at a charity event in 2005, where he said Spacey groped him, leaving him shocked and hesitant to come forward due to the actor's celebrity status.

According to the prosecutor, Spacey seemed confident that his celebrity status would dissuade the men from reporting his actions. "None of the men wanted to be touched by Kevin Spacey ... in a sexual way, but he doesn't seem to have cared very much for their feelings," Agnew asserted. "He did what he wanted to do for his own personal sexual gratification."

A particularly distressing incident involved an aspiring actor who sought career advice from Spacey in 2008. The actor invited him to his London apartment, where they drank beer and smoked marijuana. The man claimed that he either fell asleep or passed out, only to wake up to Spacey performing oral sex on him without consent. Fearful and in shock, the man said Spacey warned him not to reveal the incident or the fact that he had been in his apartment.

Spacey's once-glorious career took a devastating hit amid the rising #MeToo movement when numerous sexual misconduct allegations against him surfaced. He was subsequently removed from the Netflix series House of Cards and excised from the movie All the Money in the World.

Throughout the trial, Spacey's demeanour remained composed, listening intently as his lawyer presented the defence. He insisted that any interactions he had were consensual and that some accusers might have fabricated their claims for financial gain. The actor, known legally as Kevin Spacey Fowler, is currently free on bail and will be identified by his full name throughout the proceedings. The trial is expected to span four weeks.

As the trial progresses, the jury of nine men and five women, along with two alternates, will be tasked with evaluating the credibility of the accusers and deciding whether the allegations against the once-celebrated actor hold true. 

In a recent interview published in Germany's Zeit magazine, Spacey expressed optimism about his future, claiming that several individuals were eager to hire him once he was cleared of all charges.

"The prosecution suggests that Mr Spacey ... abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame afforded him," Agnew asserted. "Taking what and who he wanted when he wanted."

Kevin Spacey, whose illustrious career once earned him Academy Awards and critical acclaim, has recently made a comeback to the silver screen. However, his fate now hangs in the balance, awaiting the jury's verdict, which could shape not only his personal life but also his future in the entertainment industry.

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