NEW YORK | American actor Kevin Spacey announced on Tuesday that he intended to appear in court in the United Kingdom to defend himself and “prove (his) innocence”, after being charged in this country with four sexual assaults.
• Read also: Kevin Spacey charged with four sexual assaults
“I very much appreciate the statement by the Crown Prosecution Service which has carefully reminded the media and the public that I have the right 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 public prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday that it had “authorized criminal proceedings against Kevin Spacey, 62, for 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 by 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,” the actor added. in a statement sent to ABC’s morning show, Good Morning America.
According to the site Variety, a voluntary appearance would allow him to escape a possible extradition procedure.
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 Old Vic theater then commissioned an internal investigation, conducted by a legal firm, into the behavior of its former artistic director. In total, “20 personal testimonies of alleged inappropriate behavior by Kevin Spacey” had been collected.
The actor was also the subject of lawsuits in the United States, but they were dropped.
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 beauty, best actor in a supporting role in 1996 for Usual suspects) .
