Double Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey, whose stellar acting career was derailed by sex assault allegations, goes on trial in London this week, accused of sexual offenses against four men in Britain.

WHAT IS HE ACCUSED OF?

Spacey, 63, faces a dozen charges, including of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The actor, charged under his full name of Kevin Spacey Fowler, has pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts, which relate to alleged incidents between 2001 and 2013.

At an earlier hearing, SpaceyB次元官网网址檚 lawyer said the actor B次元官网网址渟trenuously deniesB次元官网网址� the charges. The attorney said Spacey would face the U.K. court to establish his innocence and B次元官网网址減roceed with his life.B次元官网网址�

His trial before a jury at Southwark Crown Court opens Wednesday and is scheduled to last for four weeks.

WHY IS THE TRIAL IN BRITAIN?

Spacey spent more than a decade living in Britain, where he was artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre from 2004 to 2015. He was a high-profile figure in London, starring in productions including William ShakespeareB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淩ichard IIIB次元官网网址� and David MametB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪peed-the-Plow,B次元官网网址� and hosting star-studded fundraising events for the 200-year-old venue.

Spacey was questioned by British police in 2019 about claims by several men that he had assaulted them. He was charged in May 2022 with five counts against three alleged victims. Another seven charges, all against a fourth man, were added in November.

Spacey, who has addresses in Britain and the U.S., has been free on unconditional bail as he awaited trial.

WHATB次元官网网址橲 SPACEYB次元官网网址橲 FUTURE?

From the 1990s, Spacey became one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, starring in films including B次元官网网址淕lengarry Glen RossB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淟A Confidential.B次元官网网址� He won a best supporting actor Academy Award for the 1995 film B次元官网网址淭he Usual SuspectsB次元官网网址� and a lead actor Oscar for the 1999 movie B次元官网网址淎merican Beauty.B次元官网网址�

After allegations emerged in the U.S. amid the growing #MeToo movement, Spacey was fired or removed from projects B次元官网网址� most notably B次元官网网址淗ouse of Cards,B次元官网网址� the Netflix political thriller where for five seasons he played lead character Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes president. He was cut from the completed film B次元官网网址淎ll the Money in the World,B次元官网网址� and the scenes reshot with Christopher Plummer.

Spacey is adamant that his career is not over. He had his first film role for several years in Italian director Franco NeroB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Man Who Drew God,B次元官网网址� played the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman in biopic B次元官网网址淥nce Upon a Time in CroatiaB次元官网网址� and also starred in as-yet unreleased U.S. film B次元官网网址淧eter Five Eight.B次元官网网址�

In January he was feted with a lifetime achievement award from ItalyB次元官网网址檚 National Cinema Museum in Turin. He also taught a masterclass and introduced a sold-out screening of B次元官网网址淎merican BeautyB次元官网网址� in what were billed as SpaceyB次元官网网址檚 first speaking engagements in five years.

Spacey saluted organizers for B次元官网网址渕aking a strong defense of artistic achievementB次元官网网址� and for having B次元官网网址渓e palleB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� the Italian word for male body parts synonymous with courage B次元官网网址� to invite him.

He told GermanyB次元官网网址檚 Zeit magazine in a rare recent interview that the media had turned him into a B次元官网网址渕onster.B次元官网网址� But he said B次元官网网址渢here are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London.B次元官网网址�

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press

Like us on and follow us on .