The prosecution in Kevin Spacey's criminal sexual assault trial claimed the actor got away with his behavior because of his celebrity status in closing arguments Wednesday.
Spacey seized brief moments for an "opportunity grab" and was able to get away with the assaults for years, because he was a celebrity who took advantage of his power, prosecutor Christine Agnew said.
Spacey is on trial after pleading not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Four men testified about similar encounters that involved Spacey allegedly groping them. Agnew emphasized that the four men's accounts were similar not because they had conspired to bring Spacey down, but because groping was reportedly Spacey's "trademark" move, according to the prosecution.
ELTON JOHN TESTIFIES IN KEVIN SPACEY'S DEFENSE AT CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL
The prosecution claimed that Spacey knew he had a "trinity of protection" — the men he chose to allegedly attack likely wouldn't come forward, but if they did, nobody would believe them. Yet if someone did believe them, Spacey thought authorities wouldn't act because of his celebrity status, Agnew argued.
Spacey testified over a span of two days, during which he denied violently groping one of his accusers and instead painted a picture of their "intimate" and "somewhat sexual" relationship for the jury.
"I never thought that (the man) I knew would... 20 years later stab me in the back," he said.
Spacey's description of gentle stroking was in direct contradiction to what the alleged victims testified. They said he caught them by surprise when he aggressively grabbed their privates through their clothing.
Elton John also testified remotely in Spacey's defense, confirming the "American Beauty" star only attended one of the musician's annual gala parties in 2001. One of Spacey's alleged victims claimed the actor assaulted him while the two were driving to John's White Tie & Tiara Ball in 2004 or 2005.
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Spacey denied all the allegations during the nearly three-week long trial. He claimed one victim's alleged encounter was "pure fantasy" while maintaining two others were consensual. The fourth allegation he seemingly accepted, explaining that he made a "clumsy pass" after drinking heavily one night.
Spacey first faced allegations of sexual misconduct when actor Anthony Rapp came forward in 2017. Rapp accused Spacey of assaulting him at a party in the 1980s. Spacey was found not liable in Rapp's civil case against him.
Following Rapp's claim, more men came forward with accusations against Spacey, and he was booted from the Netflix show "House of Cards."
Spacey returned to the screen with roles in Italian director Franco Nero’s "The Man Who Drew God," the biopic "Once Upon a Time in Croatia" and the film "Peter Five Eight."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
