Kevin Spacey will appear in a US court to face the allegations of sexual assault levelled against him by actor Anthony Rapp.
Rapp, 50, alleges he was the victim of an ‘unwanted sexual advance’ from Spacey at a party in 1986, when he was 14.
Spacey, 63, has ‘categorically denied’ the allegations and said he ‘did not harbour any sexual interest or desire in Mr Rapp at the time or since.’
Jury selection will begin on Thursday in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, with proceedings presided over by Judge Lewis A Kaplan.
Rapp first made allegations against Spacey in 2017.
According to PA, legal documents state that Rapp accused Spacey of picking him up and putting him on a bed before pushing his body weight against him.
Rapp claims he then ‘wriggled out’ with no resistance.
Spacey said none of his interactions with Star Trek: Discovery star Rapp had been ‘for the purpose of degrading or abusing him’.
He previously said: ‘I categorically deny plaintiff Anthony Rapp’s claim that I sexually assaulted him or otherwise made a ‘sexual advance’ on him.’
‘I met Mr Rapp several decades ago. I never had a sexual encounter with Mr Rapp. Nor did I harbour any sexual interest or desire in Mr Rapp at that time or any time,’ he added.
‘Nor did I have physical contact with Mr Rapp or any other interaction with him that was for the purpose of sexual gratification of either me or him.
‘Nor did I have any physical contact with Mr Rapp or any other interaction with him that was for the purpose of degrading or abusing him.
‘Any suggestion otherwise by Mr Rapp or anyone else is absolutely false.’
Since Rapp’s allegations in October 2017, House of Cards actor Spacey has been in exile from Hollywood.
Rapp is a TV and stage actor, known for originating the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of Rent.
Spacey is known for numerous film and TV roles, including Frank Underwood in Netflix’s House of Cards. Following the accusations, Netflix shelved his film Gore and removed him from the final season of House of Cards.
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