Thinking he was shielded by his fame, Kevin Spacey repeatedly engaged in criminal behavior that was widely known in the community surrounding the ‘Old Vic’ theater in London, where he was artistic director – says one of his accusers.
In the Spacey trial, taking place at Southwark crown court in London, the jurors watched a recorded police interview with the first of Kevin Spacey’s accusers – whose identity can’t be revealed by UK law.
The man stated that the star was a ‘predator’ who good-looking young men ‘were warned about’, because everyone knew he was ‘up to no good’.
The Guardian reported:
“An alleged victim of the Oscar-winning actor told police that Spacey was a “very slippery, snaky, difficult person” who groomed him. He said the 63-year-old actor tried to reel him in with promises of introductions to Hollywood stars before assaulting him a dozen times.
The man said: “It used to be a laughing joke about what was going on there. It was known. It was little comments, if a new apprentice had come in from university – a good-looking boy – people would say ‘you better be careful’. It was well known that he [Spacey] was up to no good.
[…] The actor’s first accuser alleges that in the early 2000s Spacey regularly groped him before laughing at the man’s objections. Spacey’s behaviour is alleged to have escalated over time, leaving the man feeling sick, ashamed and embarrassed. The man claimed Spacey assaulted him ‘a good dozen times’.”
The accuser said Spacey groped him ‘a good dozen times’, touching his thighs and genitals (over his clothes), ‘smack[ing] his arse’ and putting the man’s hands on his genitals.
But at the same time, according to the accuser, although Spacey was a very angry man, the star could be charming, too.
“[Spacey] was very generous as well. He’d give me and my girlfriend front row seats to premieres and dinner on him. That’s what they do, try to reel you in, ‘I’ll give them that and they won’t say anything’.”
The man alleges that the incidents took place over the span of ‘a few years’.
Variety reported:
“During the interview, the man also compared Spacey to his character in the Fincher film. ‘His character in Se7en, he’s a bit like that’, the man said. ‘A bit creepy. Maybe not quite as bad’.”
In the 1995 movie, Spacey plays a deranged man that killed inspired by the seven deadly sins.
“The man described how from the moment he first met Spacey tangentially through the actor’s employment as artistic director of London theater the Old Vic, Spacey showered him with questions and compliments. ‘He was almost right from the get go grooming me’, said the man.
As time progressed, the man alleged, the ‘grooming’ swiftly moved to inappropriate and unwanted touching. ‘He’d grab my hand and put my hand on his privates’, the man said. ‘I used to call him a weirdo. I used to say ‘You’re a fucking weirdo.’ He used to laugh about it, he used to find it funny… he wasn’t embarrassed’.”
The man waited a decade to come forward with his allegations because he was ’embarrassed’ and feared professional repercussions. The alleged abuse caused him anxiety, stress and depression.
NBC News reported:
“The pair were traveling to Elton John’s famous White Tiara Ball in the early 2000s at the height of Spacey’s fame, the man said.
‘He grabbed me so hard I almost drove off the road’, the alleged victim told Southward Crown Court via a filmed police interview. ‘He grabbed me really hard, it really hurt. I said ‘Don’t you f***ing do that or I will knock you out.’ He laughed. I will never forget it’.”