Kevin Spacey Attorneys Ask Judge If Their Client Can Skip Sex Assault Arraignment
Kevin Spacey wants to skip his upcoming arraignment next month on sex assault charges. Lawyers for Spacey have filed a motion asking that his presence at a scheduled Jan. 7 hearing in Nantucket District Court be excused. No reason was disclosed.
The motion was opposed by prosecutors. The judge did not immediately rule.
Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Michael Giardino has written that Spacey’s appearance is required under Massachusetts state rules for criminal case procedure.
Spacey is accused of groping an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket restaurant in 2016. It is a charge that he has challenged in a bizarre video monologue that has garnered more than 8.4 million views on YouTube in four days. The Spacey video, titled Let Me Be Frank, shows the actor on his own YouTube channel delivering a monologue using his former House of Cards character Frank Underwood’s persona.
In the video, Spacey says, “But you wouldn’t believe the worst without evidence, would you? You wouldn’t rush to judgments without facts, would you? Did you?” The dialog appears to be an attempt to address the latest accusation against him.
The Spacey accuser has revealed that he took Snapchat video of the alleged assault. The Massachusetts State Police report mentions the video, and it is reportedly included in the criminal complaint.
The teen, the son of former WCVB-TV news anchor Heather Unruh, told State Police that he captured Snapchat video of Spacey touching him on his phone as the alleged assault occurred, which he said continued for several minutes, and sent the video to his girlfriend to prove what had happened.
Related stories
The Most Notable TV Character Deaths/Exits Of 2018 - A Photo Gallery
Kevin Spacey Ordered To Appear In Court On Felony Groping Charge
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
