Kevin Spacey fought back tears and dabbed his eyes with a tissue Thursday as he told jurors in a London court how sexual misconduct allegations six years ago had destroyed his career.
鈥淢y world exploded,鈥 Spacey said at his sexual assault trial. 鈥淭here was a rush to judgment and before the first question was asked or answered I lost my job, I lost my reputation, I lost everything in a matter of days.鈥
The emotional testimony came toward the end of his nearly three hours in the witness box, in what could be the most consequential speaking part of his life. He denied sexually assaulting three men and chalked up crotch-grabbing allegations by a fourth as having been a 鈥渃lumsy pass.鈥
The allegations that sent Spacey's stellar film and stage career into a spiral came in 2017 as the #metoo movement gained momentum in the U.S. and a fellow actor accused him of sexually inappropriate behaviour three decades earlier.
News of those accusations led others to come forward, including four men in England who said the two-time Oscar winner sexually assaulted them between 2001 and 2013.
Prosecutor Christine Agnew has called Spacey a 鈥渟exual bully鈥 who 鈥渄elights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable.鈥
The four alleged victims, who didn't know each other, independently described disturbing encounters that escalated from unwanted touching to aggressive fondling. One man who called Spacey a 鈥渧ile sexual predator鈥 said he passed out or fell asleep on the actor's London sofa and woke up to find him performing oral sex.
Spacey spoke in a calm tone and earnest demeanor, raising his voice in contempt only briefly to address some of the allegations.
At times he was humorous, humble and self-deprecating as he breezed over a career in acting that began, he joked, when he emerged from his mother's womb. He repeatedly dropped names of some of the stars in his universe, including high school classmate Val Kilmer and Judi Dench - whom he said he taught to play ping-pong.
Spacey seemed more than content to reflect on happier times in his career but was repeatedly drawn back to the reason he was addressing a jury of nine men and three women at Southwark Crown Court.
He could face a prison term if convicted of charges that include sexual and indecent assault counts and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Defense lawyer Patrick Gibbs went through the allegations chronologically with Spacey, dating to the early 2000s when he came to work at the Old Vic Theatre in London and later became its artistic director.
Spacey took a dramatic pause in his testimony as he recalled the 鈥渋ntimate鈥 and 鈥渟omewhat sexual鈥 friendship he shared with a man now accusing the actor of violently groping him. He said he was 鈥渃rushed鈥 the man accused him of sexual assault.
鈥淚 never thought that (the man) I knew would ... 20 years later stab me in the back,鈥 Spacey said.
The accuser had testified that Spacey's fondling culminated when the man was driving and Spacey grabbed his crotch so violently he almost ran off the road. He told police he warned Spacey to never do it again and threatened to knock him out.
鈥淭hat never happened,鈥 Spacey testified. 鈥淚 was not on a suicide mission in any of those years.鈥
Spacey said the man was funny and charming, appearing wistful as he looked at a photo the man sent him from a mountainous trek he took to raise money for charity.
鈥淚'm a big flirt,鈥 Spacey said, acknowledging he probably made the first moves. He said he touched the man but not in a 鈥渧iolent, aggressive, painful way.鈥
Spacey's description of gentle stroking was in direct contradiction to the testimony from the alleged victims. They said he caught them by surprise when he aggressively grabbed their privates through their clothing.
鈥淚t wasn't like a caress,鈥 one man testified. 鈥淚t was like a cobra coming out and getting hold.鈥
Spacey called that man's account 鈥渕adness鈥 and said it never happened. He also denied he made racially offensive remarks to the man during a rehearsal for a charity theater event.
Addressing the most serious charge in the case, Spacey raised his voice and denied the suggestion he drugged a man before assaulting him.
鈥淚 know the way I am with someone and I would never be behaving in the way he claimed - it makes no logical sense,鈥 he said.
Spacey said he couldn't recall the man when police confronted him. After repeatedly watching video of the man's interview by a detective, he said he pieced together that they had a brief consensual sexual encounter in his apartment that ended when the man left in a hurry.
鈥淭he person that I had this intimate moment with was suddenly awkward and fumbling,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f he regretted it immediately, I don't know. I can't speak for him, but something was weird.鈥
He said his phone records indicated they continued to text each other over several months.
Spacey said he primarily accepted the account of a fourth man who accused the actor of kissing his neck twice and grabbing his crotch during a night of heavy drinking.
The man testified that Spacey looked panicked when he pushed him away and said, 鈥淚 don't bat for that team.鈥
Spacey said he didn't recall making the 鈥渃lumsy pass鈥 but was glad the man said he ceased when the man said he wasn't interested.
At least two of the men have also filed suit against Spacey.
Spacey said he successfully fought his accusers in U.S. courts but is in debt with legal bills.
Prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped charges against him when the alleged victim refused to testify. A jury in New York jury last fall cleared Spacey in a US$40 million lawsuit by 鈥淪tar Trek: Discovery鈥 actor Anthony Rapp on allegations dating to 1986.
Spacey said he fought that case the same way he has in London, by doggedly digging through old records, boxes of photos and any evidence that could disprove the claims.
Looking across the courtroom at his 12-person audience, Spacey noted that he had been swiftly cleared in the New York case by a unanimous 鈥渏ury of my peers.鈥
Spacey faces hours of cross-examination Friday and his lawyer will then present several witnesses on his behalf.
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Former U.S. president Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper with a woman's first name in recent days as the Republican presidential nominee focuses his closing message on a hypermasculine appeal to men.
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An Israeli attack on Iran damaged facilities at a secretive military base southeast of the Iranian capital that experts in the past have linked to Tehran's onetime nuclear weapons program.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper with a woman's first name in recent days as the Republican presidential nominee focuses his closing message on a hypermasculine appeal to men.
Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes Saturday in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month. It was the first time Israel's military has openly attacked Iran.
Commonwealth leaders, ending a week-long summit in Samoa, said on Saturday the time had come for a discussion on whether Britain should commit to reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says there has been a 鈥渟ignificant reduction鈥漷o the public safety threat since six Indian diplomatic officials were expelled from the country last week.
Minister Gary Anandasangaree has apologized to a group of Ontario First Nations for mismanagement of their money over a century ago.
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Whole Foods Market is joining the growing list of brands whose frozen waffles have been recalled in Canada this week because of possible listeria contamination.
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The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has hosted the online competition since 2019 to raise awareness about the bat's ecological importance.
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The union that represents hospital workers across the province is used a symbol from Greek mythology Friday in Espanola to drive home its campaign about the perils of privatization in health care.
Teams are facing off in a new eastern Newfoundland hockey league aiming to bring competitive play 鈥 and a few extra years on the ice 鈥 for young women in the province.
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