House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey charged with four sexual assault charges in the UK

Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey, who was previously dropped from the show House of Cards following the allegations of sexual assault, has now been charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of “causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.”

“The CPS has authorized criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men,” said Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division. “He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”

According to Variety, the decision was unveiled Thursday by the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which has spent over a year reviewing a file passed to them by the Metropolitan Police. The charges are the latest in a series of legal battles both civil and criminal that Spacey has been fighting since allegations of his sexual assault and misconduct were first publicly exposed in 2017 by actor Anthony Rapp.

As per Buzzfeed News, when he was 14, Spacey made a non-consensual sexual advance toward him at a party. Spacey, who has denied Rapp’s claims, is still embroiled in a civil suit over the allegations after Rapp sued him in New York for sexual abuse.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it had “authorised criminal charges” against the Oscar-winning actor and he will be formally charged once he returns to Britain to face the charges. While criminal proceedings against the actor have begun, the police force said that Spacey “will be formally charged at a later date”. If Spacey doesn’t return to Britain, prosecutors could begin extradition proceedings. One complainant has alleged that Spacey sexually assaulted him twice in London in March 2005, according to ABC News. Another has alleged that the actor assaulted him in 2008 and a third person has alleged that Spacey sexually assaulted him in April 2013 in Gloucestershire.

Rosemary Ainslie who heads the special crimes division said, “He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.” Spacey also continues to fight a $31 million arbitration claim related to his time on the Netflix show House of Cards. In 2020, MRC, which produced the show, won an arbitration ruling saying the actor owed them $31 million in lost profits as a consequence of Spacey’s removal from the show, per the report. In January this year, Spacey attempted to block the arbitration award by filing a request in civil court for a judge to set aside the arbitration ruling.

Also Read: Kevin Spacey ordered to pay $31 million in arbitration to House of Cards producer for breach of contract

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