(NOTE CONTENT) Prosecutors in England have formally charged Oscar winner Kevin Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men and an additional charge regarding nonconsensual sexual activity.
The star of House of Cards, until his ouster in 2017 amid a collection of sexual misconduct allegations against him, is scheduled to “voluntarily appear” in a British court Thursday to defend himself.
The alleged assaults happened years ago, when Spacey was the head of London’s famed Old Vic Theatre.
According to the formal charges, the alleged victims include a man who is now in his 40s; another man who is now in his 30s; and a third person, who is now in his 30s. The alleged incidents occurred in 2005, 2008 and 2013, respectively.
Spacey was also charged with “causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent” related to the alleged 2008 victim.
Last week, Spacey gave an exclusive statement to ABC’s Good Morning America in which he said he is confident he can prove his innocence.
Through a spokesperson, Spacey told GMA: “I very much appreciate the Crown Prosecution Service’s statement in which they carefully reminded the media and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial, and innocent until proven otherwise. While I am disappointed with their decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence.”
Unrelated sexual misconduct allegations first surfaced against Spacey in 2017 when Rent veteran and Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making a sexual advance against him when he was 14. On Twitter, Spacey said he did not recall the incident, but apologized. A civil suit by Rapp against Spacey was filed in 2020 and is still ongoing.
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