Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has told a jury he could have had sex “all the time”, but found it hard to trust people because of his fame.
The Hollywood star continued to give evidence from the witness box at Southwark Crown Court on Friday and said he “objected” to the term “crotch grab” that his alleged victims had used in accusations against him.
He denies 12 charges concerning four men, including sexual assault and indecent assault, which are alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.
Spacey, 63, admitted he felt “lonely” at times after becoming famous and said he had reached out to people to “ease that burden” – telling the jury: “Welcome to life.”
During her cross-examination of the defendant, prosecutor Christine Agnew KC first asked Spacey whether the “crotch grab” was something that he would “normally do to someone you had met for the first time”.
Spacey replied: “No.”
Questioned on whether it was something he had done before that had worked, and that he considered it a “trademark”, Spacey replied: “No.
“Let me put it this way, it is the term ‘grabbing a crotch’ or ‘groping a crotch’ that I object to.”
When Ms Agnew asked Spacey whether he considered a crotch grab to be an “appropriate” first move, the actor replied: “That’s generally not a first move.”
I found it harder to trust people because of who I was— Kevin Spacey
Questioned on what “moves” would be appropriate, the Hollywood actor told the court: “Every encounter that we have as humans, that I have had, is unique.
“The circumstance is unique, the person is unique, and how we have interacted is unique.
“I can’t give you a sort of rundown of what always happens, it’s always different.”
Responding to the suggestion that he might have “ignored” signs from the four complainants, Spacey said he “definitely misread” signs from one complainant who rejected an alleged sexual grab at an expensive property he was staying at in the Cotswolds in the early 2010s.
The actor added that he had “consensual interactions” with two other complainants – one who drove him to a lavish showbiz party in the early 2000s and an aspiring actor who claimed Spacey had “drugged” him before waking up to find the defendant performing a sex act on him.
If they went further than they wanted... they did not let me know that— Kevin Spacey
Referring to the complainant who alleged Spacey grabbed his crotch “like a cobra” after meeting him at a West End theatre in the mid-2000s, the actor said: “He has made up his entire story from beginning to end.”
Ms Agnew asked Spacey: “Do you think that you might have misinterpreted what they were doing or saying?”
The actor replied: “If they went further than they wanted… they did not let me know that.”
Spacey said it “seems that they regretted what they did at a later time”.
Questioned on whether he thought people were tempted by his approaches because of “who you are”, Spacey said: “I hope they liked me because they liked me, not because of who I am.”
Ms Agnew then asked: “You must have been aware that you were an extremely famous person?”
Spacey replied: “Yes, but I don’t go through my life thinking about that.”
He continued: “I was a very fortunate actor who got some very remarkable film roles.”
The prosecution then said: “You received two Oscars by the time you were in the UK?”
Spacey replied: “Yes.”
Continuing to question the actor, Ms Agnew then asked: “Did you ever feel lonely in those years?”
“Of course,” Spacey answered.
Ms Agnew continued: “Did you then reach out to people sexually in order to ease that burden?”
Spacey replied: “Welcome to life. Yes, yes I did.”
Asked if he found a “thrill” out of taking “sexual risks” such as one-night stands, Spacey responded by saying he was “open” about the times he had been “promiscuous”.
“It doesn’t make me a bad person,” the actor added.
Ms Agnew then asked Spacey: “Have you found that due to your status and position, people normally did what you wanted them to do?”
“No,” the actor replied.
Ms Agnew went on: “You didn’t find it easier to pick up people because of who you are?”
Spacey answered: “I found it harder to trust people because of who I was.”
After the prosecutor asked the same question again, the actor responded: “I am sure if I wanted to I could have had sex all the time, but I didn’t.”
The Hollywood star said he was “attracted to masculine men” but when asked on whether he was attracted to straight men, Spacey replied: “How would I know if they were straight or not?
“I can certainly tell you that there have been men in my life who said they were straight who I ended up having a sexual experience with.
“I don’t know if someone is gay or straight by looking at them.”
The defendant, standing trial under his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler, was labelled a “sexual bully” when proceedings began last month.
He pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
The two-time Academy Award winner also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The trial continues.
