Kevin Spacey accused of sexual assaults dating back decades in UK civil lawsuits

LONDON — Three British men suing Oscar-winning US actor Kevin Spacey over alleged sexual assaults asked London’s High Court on Tuesday to allow them to rely on accusations by seven others, one dating back to the 1970s, at a civil trial later this year.

The three men say Mr. Spacey sexually assaulted them between 2000 and 2013. Two were complainants and gave evidence in the actor’s 2023 criminal trial in London at which he was of all charges.

The 66-year-old, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars before he was first accused of sexual assault in 2017, has always denied sexual misconduct and says the incidents alleged in the lawsuit did not happen or were consensual. He did not attend Tuesday’s hearing.

At a civil trial in November, the claimants want to rely on evidence from seven other men who allege they were sexually assaulted by Mr. Spacey — one in the late 1970s, two in the late 1990s, and four in the 2000s and 2010s.

The claimants’ lawyer, Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel, told the court the other men’s accounts showed Mr. Spacey had a “propensity to sexually assault young men” and, in some instances, allegedly exploited his status as a famous actor to do so.

Mr. Spacey’s lawyers argue the additional allegations, which Mr. Spacey denies, do not show any pattern of behavior and are of limited or no relevance to the three claimants’ cases.

Judge Christina Lambert is expected to give her ruling on whether the seven additional accounts can be included at a later date.

OLD VIC THEATER SETTLES CLAIMANT’S CASE
One of the three claimants suing Mr. Spacey had also sued London’s Old Vic theater, where Mr. Spacey worked as artistic director from 2003.

The Old Vic reached an agreement with the claimant to settle the case against it. His case against Mr. Spacey continues.

The Old Vic said in a statement: “This settlement has been agreed without any admission of liability, having regard to the costs and impact on all parties of continuing litigation.”

Mr. Spacey, who won Oscars for American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, was dropped from the TV drama House of Cards and removed from the movie All the Money in the World after he was first accused of sexual assault.

A civil lawsuit against Mr. Spacey in the United States was dismissed by a jury in 2022 and he stood trial in London the following year, charged with sexually assaulting four men in Britain. He was acquitted of all nine charges. — Reuters