Kevin Spacey denies sexually assaulting minor in his testimony at sex abuse trial in New York

On Monday, actor Kevin Spacey testified at a civil trial against him, where an alleged victim is seeking damages claiming the actor sexually assaulted him years ago. During his cross-examination, Kevin repeatedly rejected suggestions that he wasn’t telling the truth, when he denied an actor’s claims that he made a sexual advance on him, when he was 14 in the 1980s. Also read: Actor Kevin Spacey to face trial over sexual misconduct allegations

The trial, now in its third week, has an actor seeking $40 million in damages from Kevin Spacey alleging he sexually assaulted him years ago. Kevin has denied these charges. Kevin’s testimony continued for several hours as he was cross examined by a lawyer for the accuser. As per reports, the testimony went smoothly enough that his lawyer did not ask any questions after the examination was completed by early afternoon.

Addressing the prosecuting lawyer as ‘sir’, Kevin did not seem rattled a day after he had emotionally testified that he regretted following the advice of his handlers by being “friendly and cordial” in responding to the sexual assault claims in 2017. The accuser had claimed back then that Spacey picked him up and briefly laid on top of him on a bed in his apartment in 1986 when he was 14 and Kevin was 26.

“In my heart, I did not believe this had happened,” Kevin said of his reaction to the claims. He said he was “terrified” and went along with his handlers proposal of a public statement. His statement in 2017 said that the actor did not recall the incident but was sorry if it did. “I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior,” he had said. This statement led to the actor being widely criticised and eventually losing several acting jobs, most notably his hit Netflix show House of Cards and the film All the Money in the World.

During his testimony on Monday, the 63-year-old actor admitted that he did entertain the accuser and his friend actor John Barrowman, who was 19 at the time. In fact, Kevin added that if he had a romantic interest, it was Barrowman. He recalled dancing with the then-19-year-old actor at the Limelight dance club and before inviting the two to his apartment afterward to see his dog. Once there, he said that he and John Barrowman “playfully had a moment together” on his bed in a visit to the apartment that lasted about a half hour, the actor said.

John Barrowman also testified in a deposition partially played in court on Monday, where he said that his friend, the accuser, was in the restroom when John and Kevin briefly flirted on the bed. Kevin also maintained that he was sure he was never alone with the accuser, and that his claim that Kevin made a pass at him after a party at his apartment was not true.

(With AP inputs)