Kevin Spacey told a court that grabbing men’s privates is not “generally” the “first move” he would make on a potential love interest.
Kevin Spacey says grabbing men’s privates is not ‘generally’ the ‘first move’ he would make on a potential lover
The Oscar-winning actor, 63, is on trial facing 12 charges of sexual assault – which he denies – and he also told London’s Southwark Crown Court on Friday (14.07.23) one of his alleged victims was lying for “money, money – and then money”.
As the prosecution’s cross-examination of ‘The Usual Suspects’ actor started, the court heard that Spacey was asked by Christine Agnew KC if a “crotch grab” was something that he would “normally do” to “someone you had met for the first time”.
Spacey testified: “No,” and when asked if it was a move he had tried before that had worked, and if he considered it his “trademark”, the actor hit back: “No. Let me put it this way, it is the term ‘grabbing a crotch’ or ‘groping a crotch’ that I object to.
“That’s generally not a first move.”
Spacey also told the court he was sure “if I wanted to I could have sex all the time, but I didn’t” and stressed he is an “affectionate” man.
He added: “Every encounter that we have as humans, that I have had, is unique. The circumstance is unique, the person is unique, and how we have interacted is unique.
“I can’t give you a sort of rundown of what always happens, it’s always different.”
Spacey admitted he had “definitely misread” signs from one complainant who rejected an alleged sexual grope at a property where he was staying in the early 2010s.
The actor added he had "consensual interactions" with two other complainants, one of whom drove him to a celebrity party in the early 2000s, as well as a rising actor who alleged Spacey drugged him before he woke to the star performing a sex act on him.
The court has been told of an alleged backstage sexual assault in which Spacey is said to have grabbed the man’s penis “like a cobra”.
Spacey’s alleged victim said: “It was painful. The grip was quite strong.”
The actor is denying seven charges of sexual assault, three of indecent assault, one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity.
The trial continues and is expected to last another three weeks.
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