Kevin Spacey pleaded not guilty to accusations of sexual offenses in a London court on Thursday morning.
The actor, 62, entered the plea during a hearing at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales. The judge set a date of June 6, 2023, for the trial to begin and said it would last three to four weeks.
The two-time Oscar-winning actor, who served as artistic director of London’s Old Vic theater between 2004 and 2015, is accused of four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The charges stem from claims by three men that Spacey had sexually assaulted them in England almost 20 years ago. The alleged incidents took place in the British capital between March 2005 and August 2008, and in Gloucestershire in April 2013. The victims are now in their 30s and 40s.
Spacey’s lawyer previously stated that the actor “strenuously denies” the allegations.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service formally charged Spacey in June, and he was granted unconditional bail and allowed to return to the United States following a preliminary hearing on June 16.
In a statement given exclusively to ABC News’ Good Morning America in late May, Spacey said he would “voluntarily” appear in court in the U.K. capital, and was “confident” he would prove his innocence.
Spacey was praised for his starring role as a ruthless politician in the Netflix series House of Cards. But he was written out of the show after being fired in 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of sexually assaulting him at a party in New York City in 1986, when Rapp was 14.
Spacey has denied the allegations and was criticized for coming out as gay in his apology to Rapp. In a statement at the time, Spacey said he had “admiration” for Rapp, adding he was “beyond horrified” to hear his allegations — which Spacey said he “honestly” couldn’t remember.
“But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior,” Spacey concluded.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
Dabney Coleman, ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Tootsie’ star, dead at 92
May 17, 2024
CBS via Getty ImagesDabney Coleman, best known for his role as the sexist boss of Dolly Parton,…
Music notes: Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and more
May 17, 2024
Olivia Rodrigo's debut album, SOUR, just hit a major milestone. It's now the all-time…
Hear Miley Cyrus sing Talking Heads, Demi Lovato sing The Temptations
May 17, 2024
A24Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato are two artists who can pretty much sing anything, and they both…
Laura Dern, Margaret Qualley to star in series adaptation of ‘Forever, Interrupted’
May 17, 2024
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesLaura Dern and Margaret Qualley are…
‘Young Sheldon’ goes out with a big bang: series finale hits four-year audience high
May 17, 2024
Robert Voets/2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.It’s no theory – Young Sheldon went out with a big…
New Music Friday: Bebe Rexha, Dinah Jane, NKOTB and more
May 17, 2024
Bebe Rexha is back with a new single, "Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da)," which also has a video to go with…
Report: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce stayed in $21,000 per night Italian villa
May 17, 2024
Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights ManagementTaylor Swift had a few days off before her…