Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty To UK Sexual Assault Charges At London’s Old Bailey; Trial Set For June 2023
American Beauty and House of Cards star Kevin Spacey has pled not guilty to five sexual assault charges at a court hearing at London’s famed Old Bailey court this morning and will face trial in June next year.
The Oscar-winning actor, appearing under his real name of Kevin Spacey Fowler, was asked for his name and address before making the plea at a hearing overseen by Justice Mark Wall.
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In June, Spacey was formally charged with four counts of sexual assault and one of “causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent,” by the Metropolitan Police. The alleged historical offenses cover a period of 2005-2013 in London and the county of Gloucester and were against three men all now aged in their 30s and 40s. Spacey has maintained his innocence since the allegations first came to light.
The judge has set a trial date for June 6, 2023, and it is expected to last two to three weeks.
The judge also continued Spacey’s unconditional bail, which was granted last month, and adjourned case until June next year, although the venue remains undetermined. However, it’s likely to be held at either Southwark Crown Court or the Old Bailey, dependant on court availability.
The Old Bailey’s Court 1 is probably the most famous court in the world, having been the setting for scores of murder and other serious criminal cases. It has also featured in countless film and TV dramas.
Today’s hearing had been due to be heard at Southwark Crown Court, the UK’s fourth largest judicial venue, after a Westminster Magistrates Court ruling. However, likely due to the enormous domestic and international media interest, officials quietly shifted it to the number one courtroom in the country’s premier court, which is located in the City of London, a stone’s throw away from St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Media Frenzy
Spacey had arrived early this morning wearing a baby blue suit, cream shirt and blue spotted tie and was immediately ushered into a meeting room with his legal representatives. He was again greeted with a media circus, with reporters, photographers and other members of the media camped outside the court. Flanked by security, he soon made his way into Court 1.
Thirty reporters waited for seats in the public gallery while scores of other media viewed via video in an overspill courtroom. Security was strict, with an officer guarding the room where Spacey met with his team. Those who approached were told that they’d be removed from the court.
Baz Bamigboye
After the hearing, Spacey retired to a meeting room with his legal team to discuss future strategy and the best route to depart the Old Bailey complex without encountering the hoards of waiting media.
He is free to travel, including internationally for work after being granted unconditional bail after complying with police and the courts. However, Justice Wall reminded him he was expected in court for the trial and that failing to attend would entail a criminal act.
Once one of Hollywood’s biggest and most bankable stars, Spacey’s career halted after actor Anthony Rapp went public with allegations about his sexual conduct in 2017. A series of other complaints followed in both the U.S. and UK. In Britain, Spacey led Old Vic Theatre from 2003-2015, which detailed a series of complaints against him. This covers the period in which the offenses alleged today were said to have happened.
Spacey is set to go to trial in New York in October to face a sexual assault lawsuit that Rapp brought, after a judge dismissed Spacey’s appeals for it to be dropped.
In the UK, Channel 4 is working on a documentary about the upcoming legal cases and Spacey’s life beyond the courts.
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