Kevin Spacey Trial: Defense Calls Accusers Liars as Closing Arguments Conclude

Daniel Kreps
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Kevin Spacey Gives Evidence At His Sexual Assault Trial - Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Kevin Spacey Gives Evidence At His Sexual Assault Trial - Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Closing arguments in Kevin Spacey’s London sexual assault trial began Wednesday, with prosecutors spotlighting the similar accusations of crotch-grabbing brought forth against the actor by four victims.

Prosecutor Christine Agnew called Spacey’s actions an “opportunity grab” and that the actor — “a man who is used to getting his own way, used to being able to talk his way out of a situation” — believed he could grope consequence-free because he had a “trinity of protection”: Either the men wouldn’t report the incidents, or the men would go to police who in turn either wouldn’t believe them or not find the crimes worthy of investigation.

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Agnew also hit back at the defense’s claims that the accusations were monetarily motivated; two men have civil lawsuits against the actor, while a third reportedly solicited a settlement.

“Are they all motivated by ‘money, money, money’ as you were told rather dramatically by the defendant?” Agnew said, quoting Spacey’s testimony (via The Associated Press). “Or have they all just had enough of the secret of the truth that they have been carrying around for many years? They’re no longer prepared to be the secret keeper of someone who treated them so badly.”

The defense presented their closing arguments Thursday, saying that three of the accusers are liars (and one of them was intoxicated) who used the backlash against the actor to their advantage.

Spacey’s lawyer Patrick Gibbs told jurors it was “not a crime to like sex, even if you’re famous and it’s not a crime to have sex, even if you’re famous, and it’s not a crime to have casual sex… And it’s not a crime to have sex with someone of the same sex because it’s 2023 not 1823.” (Via the Hollywood Reporter.)

Gibbs added, “It’s not my life, it’s not your life, perhaps it’s a bit of an odd life, but it’s a life that makes you an easy target when the internet turns against you and you’re tried by social media.”

With closing arguments concluded, the case now goes to the jury.

Earlier in the week, Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, were called to the stand (via video link) as witnesses for the defense; One of Spacey’s four accusers had said that, in the early 2000s, he was driving with Spacey to John’s White Tie & Tiara Ball when the actor allegedly grabbed his genitals so hard that the man said he nearly crashed the car. The complainant said he believed the event occurred in either 2004 or 2005, but Spacey and his defense team have refuted that timeframe in an effort to cast doubt on the man’s claims. John and Furnish’s testimony was to corroborate Spacey’s claim that he did not attend the party in 2004 or 2005 and that the one time he did attend was in 2001.

This is Spacey’s second major trial over sexual misconduct claims. Last October, the actor scored a major victory when a jury in the U.S. found him not liable for battery in a civil suit tied to allegations from Anthony Rapp, one of the first people to publicly accuse Spacey.

This story was updated June 20th with Spacey’s defense lawyer’s closing argument.

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