Kevin Spacey smiled and waved as he arrived at court before the Oscar-winning actor’s trial on sexual assault charges.
The 63-year-old has previously pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent against four men between 2001 and 2013.
Wearing a navy suit, a light blue shirt and pink tie, Spacey arrived at Southwark crown court in a taxi on Wednesday before greeting people assembled outside.
The Hollywood star entered the glass-fronted dock at 10.30am and spoke only to confirm his name.
The case, listed under his full name, Kevin Spacey Fowler, is being heard before Mr Justice Wall. Patrick Gibbs KC is defending Spacey, who is on unconditional bail, while Christine Agnew KC and Shauna Ritchie are prosecuting.
Before the jury panel was selected, the judge told prospective jurors: “I’m sure the defendant will be gratified to know that many of you know his name and have seen his films.”
A jury of three women and nine men were sworn in for the four-week trial, which is expected to open on Friday. Two reserve jurors were also selected to sit through the opening of the prosecution.
The jury heard the 12 charges on the indictment, which include seven of sexual assault, three of indecent assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
Among the charges is an accusation that Spacey forced an alleged victim’s hand against his genitals over clothing on no less than five occasions between 1 May 2004 and 24 June 2005.
Spacey is also accused of performing oral sex on an alleged victim without their consent between 1 and 31 August 2008.
The judge instructed the jury to rely only on the evidence in the case and not to make their own inquiries.
“This is a case that quite obviously has, and will continue to, attract quite a lot of media coverage,” he said. “You must try to avoid such coverage where you can. There is a risk that if you pay heed to what is reported on this trial you might be, probably unwittingly, influenced.”
Not for the first time, the world’s media descended on the south London court where celebrities including Boris Becker and Rolf Harris have been tried in recent years.
In May last year, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent against Spacey. The charges related to alleged offences against three men – now in their 30s and 40s – in England between 2005 and 2013. Spacey pleaded not guilty to the charges at the Old Bailey in July.
In November, Spacey was charged with seven additional offences – three of indecent assault, three of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent – against a fourth man between 2001 and 2005. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing in January.
Spacey was artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London between 2004 and 2015. He grew up in California but lived in London for more than a decade, previously saying the city had become his home. He now lives in Baltimore in the US.
Spacey has won two Oscars – the best supporting actor award for The Usual Suspects in 1996 and best actor in 2000 for American Beauty. In recent years he was best known for his role playing the fictional US president Frank Underwood in Netflix’s House of Cards. He has appeared in the movies Seven, LA Confidential and Baby Driver.
