Two-time Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey made a brief appearance Wednesday in a London courtroom on the first day of trial on multiple charges of sexual assault.
Mr Spacey, 63, faces 12 charges related to incidents which prosecutors say involved four men and occurred between 2001 and 2013. For much of that time, he was artistic director of the Old Vic Theater in London.
In two previous hearings over the past year, Mr. Spacey has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges.
On Wednesday morning, in a wood-panelled courtroom at Southwark Crown Court – a venue usually used for high-profile British criminal cases – Mr Spacey sat in a large transparent box in the center of the room, dressed in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and pink tie, while his body led The jury swore.
The judge overseeing the case, Mark Wall, told the jury that Mr. Spacey “would be grateful that many of you know his name, or have seen his films,” but said it would not disqualify them from working on the case. Mr. Spacey, who goes by his full name, Kevin Spacey-Fowler, smiled at the comment.
Shortly after midday, the judge dismissed the jury until Friday morning, when the prosecution is expected to make its opening statement. Then Mr. Spacey left the courtroom with several counsels.
Mr. Spacey faces 12 counts including multiple counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without their consent.
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