American actor Kevin Spacey plans to come to the UK himself to appear in court after four sexual misconduct charges were brought against him. The two-time Oscar winner announced in a statement to ABC News.
The actor adds that he is convinced that he can prove his innocence in the case.
Spacey was charged in Britain last week with four counts of sexual assault against three men. Formally, the actor must report to the United Kingdom to start a case against him. The British authorities said they will ask the US to extradite Spacey if the actor does not come himself. This would mean that he would then have to be arrested in the US.
Justice has not said who filed the charges. One of the cases involves “inciting” penetration without permission. These are incidents between March 2005 and April 2013, which are said to have partly taken place in the London area where the Old Vic theatre is located. Spacey was the artistic director there at the time.
The 62-year-old Spacey, known for the films Usual Suspects, LA Confidential and Se7en, had already been accused by several men in 2017 of sexually transgressive behaviour. The case caused the actor to leave the popular Netflix series House Of Cards shortly after, in which he played the lead role of President Frank Underwood. Several cases were settled and dropped, but an investigation into the actor continued.
If Spacey comes forward for the trial, that doesn’t mean the actor will have to stay in the UK for months or even years. The judge can permit him to travel back to the US, provided he promises to return if the judge asks.