Summary

  • The trial of US actor Kevin Spacey is under way in London

  • He is facing 12 counts of sexual assault against four men - which he denies

  • In their opening statement, the prosecution claim Spacey is a "sexual bully"

  • He is a "man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable", says Christine Agnew KC

  • The alleged victims are now in their 30s and 40s, with the incidents said to have happened between 2001 and 2013

  • One complainant was assaulted after writing to Spacey to seek mentoring, the prosecution claims

  • The trial is expected to last between three and four weeks - you can't watch it, but there will be text updates here

  • Warning - this page will include sexual references and may be distressing to readers

  1. Thanks for readingpublished at 12:43 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Our coverage is now closing. Reporting from court were Michael Sheils McNamee, Helena Wilkinson, and Lucy Manning, with Owen Amos and Adam Durbin in the BBC's newsroom in London.

    Thanks for reading.

  2. What has the court heard?published at 12:42 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    We're closing our coverage of the first day of Kevin Spacey's sexual assault trial shortly. Here's a summary of what the court has heard so far:

    • Four victims allege 12 counts of sexual assault by Spacey between 2001 and 2013, who was described as a "sexual bully" by the prosecution
    • Christine Agnew KC also said Spacey is a man who "delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable"
    • Complainant one, who worked with Spacey for many years, says the actor grabbed his crotch on multiple occasions without consent
    • Spacey is alleged to have "simply laughed" and commented that "getting angry simply turned him on", the prosecution said
    • The second alleged victim also says Spacey grabbed his penis while at a work event in 2005, where the complainant says Spacey "looked dishevelled" and smelled of alcohol
    • Complainant three says he went back to Spacey's flat in 2008 after a meeting, fell asleep after consuming some alcohol and cannabis and alleges he woke up to being sexually assaulted
    • The fourth complainant alleges he met Spacey at a pub in 2013 where he worked, later going back to his house where Spacey kissed his neck, grabbed his crotched and told him to "be cool"
    • Complainant four says he pushed the actor away and hold him: "Sorry man - I don't bat for that team"
    • Spacey denies all the allegations against him and his defence's full opening remarks will be heard later in the tirial
  3. Defence tells jury they will hear 'deliberate exaggerations and lies'published at 12:25 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Lucy Manning
    Reporting from South

    The court has finished for the day and will return at 10:30 BST on Monday.

    But before it closed, the jury heard defence barrister Patrick Gibbs KC say they will hear some “deliberate exaggerations and many damned lies”.

    He asks them to think about if anything has happened, or if there has been a sinister spin, and if anything has been twisted - and why.

  4. Spacey's defence say 'rumour and fame' behind claimspublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    After the prosecution’s opening, as we were told would happen earlier, Spacey’s barrister Patrick Gibbs KC delivered a brief address to the jury.

    He says it is important for the jury not to make up their mind “unless and until you’ve heard both sides of a story”.

    Gibbs says the actor “completely denied” what he was accused of.

    He says that the jury will come against the obstacles of “rumour and fame”, telling them they will get “some insights into fame” and the way it changes “the way other people behave towards you”.

    "Mr Spacey is rich and influential, and the flip side of that, amongst your considerations in the case.

    "What did they want from his wealth and from his influence? And what do they still want, do you think?" Gibbs concludes.

  5. Spacey baffled and hurt by allegations, jury hearspublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    In relation to complainant one, a man who worked with Kevin Spacey over some time, the actor claims he knew him as “as a clever and charming man and someone whose company he has enjoyed”.

    Spacey was quoted as saying he was “baffled and deeply hurt” by the allegation and he claimed the complainant was “reimagining their time together into allegations which were untrue”.

  6. Spacey says he may have made 'a clumsy pass'published at 12:11 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    More from the prosecution on Spacey now, who say he acknowledges frequenting the pub where he is alleged to have met complainant four - but also say he says he has no memory of meeting him.

    Christine Agnew KC says Spacey did not recognise the name of the complainant, and did not recognise him in a photograph - although Spacey thought he may have recognised him in another photograph.

    Spacey says it is possible the complainant was part of a group who went back to where he was staying, but he did not remember kissing anyone on the neck or grabbing someone’s crotch.

    Spacey also says it was possible he had made “a clumsy pass at some point in time at someone that he could not recall”.

  7. Spacey in court - sketchpublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Remember, we are not legally allowed to film (or record) in court. But here's a sketch from the artist Julia Quenzler, who was in court earlier.

    Spacey in courtImage source, Julia Quenzler
  8. Spacey says he does not remember meeting complainantspublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    The court has also heard Spacey's response to the allegations from prosecution barrister Christine Agnew KC.

    She tells the court Spacey has no recollection of arranging to meet complainant three, taking him back to his flat or performing sexual acts on him without consent.

    Agnew tells the jury that Spacey remembers attending an event in 2005, but has no memory of meeting complainant two there.

    Spacey denies drinking or looking "dishevelled" and suggests there is a financial motivation for the claim.

  9. Spacey abused his power and fame, jury toldpublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Lucy Manning
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    The prosecution has asked the jury to consider if the four accusers, who don’t know each other, were lying or trying to benefit financially.

    Finishing the prosecution opening, Christine Agnew KC tells the court: “Mr Spacey Fowler [the actor's full surname] abused the power and influence that his reputation and fame afforded him, taking advantage of his popularity and prominence, his illustriousness and influence.

    "Taking what and who he wanted, when he wanted," she concludes.

  10. 'Sorry man - I don't bat for that team', complainant allegedly told Spaceypublished at 11:43 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    Over the course of the evening, complainant four claims Spacey was placing his hand on his knee and the knee of other members of the group.

    Spacey invited the group back to where he was staying, where they continued to drink and smoke cannabis, the jury hears.

    The complainant then described going to try and find a coat to go outside to smoke, at which point he opened a door to a room and let a dog out, which he then retrieved.

    At that point Spacey "kissed his neck twice and said, ‘Be cool, be cool’,” the court hears.

    "And then, as was his predilection, he [Spacey] grabbed his crotch with his hand and squeezed," the prosecutor alleges.

    The compainaint then “pushed the defendant against a wall" and told him: "Sorry man - I don't bat for that team."

    “The defendant walked past him without saying anything and went into the room where [the complainant] had just put the dog.”

  11. Spacey approached fourth complainant at a pubpublished at 11:40 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    The prosecution are moving to the fourth and final complainant now.

    He reported what happened to him in November 2017, about something which he alleged happened in March 2013.

    The alleged incident happened after Spacey came into a pub he was working in and asked “what people did around there for fun”, the jury is told.

    The complainant told Spacey about a pub he was going to later to meet friends.

    Spacey said he would possibly meet him there and when the complainant got to the pub later, he found his friends drinking and sitting with Spacey.

  12. Complainant three woke up to being assaulted by Spacey, jury hearspublished at 11:25 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    We are hearing about complainant three now, who was the first person to make a complaint.

    He first met Spacey in 2008 at an audition, the court hears. After this initial meeting, he wrote to the actor to seek mentoring.

    After a time Spacey called him and arranged a meeting, which ended in the complainant going back to a flat with Spacey.

    The complainant fell asleep at the flat and woke up to Spacey sexually assaulting him, the proseuction claims.

    (NB: While the allegation is being detailed in court, we are choosing not to report some details here, because of their nature).

    "He [the complainant] thought he was only awake at Kevin Spacey Fowler’s apartment for about one hour so must have been asleep or passed out for about five hours," says Christine Agnew KC.

    "He has always thought this was strange and unlike him as he had four to five pints at the pub in the afternoon, a few bottles of beer at the apartment and a few drags on a cannabis joint," the prosectuor tells the jury.

  13. Second complainant ignored lewd comments before alleged incidentpublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    We are moving onto the second complainant now.

    Their interaction was in 2005, at a work event. He had looked forward to meeting Spacey, the jury is told.

    He thought Spacey "smelled of alcohol and looked like he hadn’t slept, appearing arrogant and dismissive".

    Claimant two allegedly ignored lewd comments he heard within earshot of him, before Spacey placed his hand on his leg.

    The court hears about an incident from later in the same night, when the claimant allegedly had his penis grabbed forcefully.

  14. Why we’re not naming alleged victimspublished at 11:05 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Helena Wilkinson
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    You might notice throughout our coverage that we are not naming the four complainants.

    That’s because we are not allowed to legally.

    Anyone who is alleged to be the victim of a sexual offence is automatically legally entitled to lifelong anonymity.

    That means it is a criminal offence for the media - or anyone else - to publish their name or anything which identifies them.

    This applies to posting on social media too.

  15. Spacey 'laughed' at complainant's angerpublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    The force of Spacey grabbing the first complainant's penis on one occasion was so strong that it resulted in “taking his breath away”, Agnew says.

    Spacey's alleged response was that he “simply laughed and commented that his getting angry simply turned him on".

  16. Spacey accused of 'inappropriate and unwelcome touching'published at 11:02 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    We are getting into the details of the allegations now, hearing first about Spacey’s time at The Old Vic in London and information about the first complainant.

    Agnew tells the jury the first complainant experienced “inappropriate and unwelcome touching” from Spacey.

    The court also hears about a number of incidents where the complainant was in Spacey’s company.

    The jury hears that Spacey would “touch him inappropriately, he would grab him or try to grab his bottom”, and there were possibly “five or six occasions” when he put his “hand onto his penis”.

  17. Reminder - there will be sexual references in this pagepublished at 10:58 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    As the prosecution sets out its case, it's important to remember there will be some sexual references in this page, which some readers may find distressing.

  18. Prosecution lays out sexual offences law to jurypublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Michael Sheils McNamee
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    Agnew, the prosecutor, goes over some of the technicalities of the case and informs jurors what is expected of them.

    She is going through some of the detail about the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and how that would have taken effect against alleged crimes which took place after the act was brought into force.

  19. Jury must concentrate on evidence - despite Spacey's famepublished at 10:46 British Summer Time 30 June 2023

    Lucy Manning
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    The prosecution has just addressed the issue of Kevin Spacey’s fame.

    Christine Agnew KC tells the jury: ‎"It is only right that you might feel a little star struck or overwhelmed that you are part of the jury to try such a famous person."

    But she also tells them they have to stay grounded - and concentrate on the evidence.

  20. Spacey a 'sexual bully' claims prosecutionpublished at 10:44 British Summer Time 30 June 2023
    Breaking

    Helena Wilkinson
    Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

    Opening the prosecution case, Christine Agnew KC tells jury that Kevin Spacey is an “extremely famous” actor that many of them will know.

    Agnew adds that the prosecution allege Spacey is also a man who “sexually assaults other men”.

    The barrister says that Spacey is a “man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable – a sexual bully".