Dn the turmoil of a new scandal, Kevin Spacey has announced that he intends to appear in court in the United Kingdom to defend himself. As reminded The Guardianthe 62-year-old American actor is charged in this country with four sexual assaults and intends to “prove his innocence”.
” I very much appreciate the statement by the Crown Prosecution Service which has carefully reminded the media and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial, and that I am innocent until proven guilty. »said the star of the series House of Cards, from which he had been landed by Netflix after the first accusations. The British prosecution announced on Thursday that it had ” authorized criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, on four counts of sexual assault against three men »over a period from March 2005 to April 2013, when he was artistic director of the Old Vic theater in London.
” Although I am disappointed with this decision, I will voluntarily report to the UK as soon as it can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, and I am sure prove my innocence », added the actor in a statement sent to the morning show of the American channel ABC, Good Morning America. According to the site Variety, a voluntary appearance would allow him to escape a possible extradition procedure.
READ ALSONetflix-Kevin Spacey: a 39 million dollar divorce?
A career weighed down by these revelations
The charges were made in the wake of the Weinstein scandal, named after the American film producer targeted since 2017 by numerous complaints for harassment, sexual assault and rape, and convicted by American justice since. The Metropolitan Police began their investigations the following month, points out The Guardian.
READ ALSOAnd Kevin Spacey faded…
The Old Vic theater had also commissioned an internal investigation, conducted by a law firm, into the behavior of its former artistic director. In total, ” 20 Personal Accounts of Kevin Spacey’s Alleged Inappropriate Behaviors » had been collected. The actor was also the subject of lawsuits in the United States but they were dropped.
READ ALSOKevin Spacey: “I believe in politics”
This wave of accusations had serious consequences on the career and reputation of the American actor who won two Oscars in his career (best actor in 2000 for american beautyBest Supporting Actor in 1996 for Usual suspects). Kevin Spacey has indeed largely disappeared from public view