Kevin Spacey Thursday faces a civil trial in New York for a lawsuit brought against him by fellow actor Anthony Rapp, who accuses him of sexually assaulting him when he was 14, in 1986, and is seeking financial compensation.
Spacey and Rapp avoided making statements to reporters upon arrival at the Manhattan courthouse where the trial will take place, which is expected to last less than two weeks.
selection of the jury
The process began with the selection of the jury, with a total of 42 candidates being questioned by the judge to determine who was the most suitable to decide on this case.
Among other questions, prospective jurors were asked if they had been victims of unwanted sexual advances, had anti-LGBT biases, or knew the defendant or actor personally.
Spacey, dressed in a gray suit and blue tie, went through the proceedings sitting with his legal team right behind Rapp and can be seen taking notes and chatting with his lawyers.
The jury selection is expected to be completed today, followed by the opening discussions.
The complaint
The trial is the result of a lawsuit filed by Rapp in September 2020, which claims $ 40 million for the psychological damage he would suffer after Spacey tried to seduce him and groped him at a party in his New York apartment.
The events date back to 1986, when Rapp was only 14 and a rising star, while Spacey was 26 and already a well-known Broadway performer.
Rapp publicly accused Spacey in 2017, at the height of the MeToo movement, and later sued him, taking advantage of a new New York law that allows victims of sexual abuse when they were minors to go to court even years later.
According to the actor, the visibly drunk Spacey picked him up, put him on a bed, climbed on top of him and made a sexual advance, but he slipped away and left the house.
The defense of the protagonist House of cardswho is now 63 years old, has always denied the accusation.
Other allegations
Spacey was also sued by other men for alleged sexual crimes and last July he pleaded not guilty before a British court in a case in which he was charged with alleged assaults on three people between 2005 and 2013.
In August, a Los Angeles court forced the actor to pay $ 31 million to production company MCR, which is responsible for the series. House of cardsin compensation for violating the terms of his contract for his behavior, as he was accused of sexual harassment by a production assistant.
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Source: Clarin
