Kevin Spacey testified Thursday during his ongoing sexual assault trial in London.
Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The charges stem from allegations involving four different men.
Taking the stand, Spacey 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.
The man has accused the actor of inappropriately touching him on a number of occasions, including a time Spacey allegedly violently grabbed his crotch so hard he almost drove off the road.
KEVIN SPACEY ACCUSER SAYS GROPING WAS AGGRESIVE ‘LIKE A COBRA,’ REVEALS WHY HE KEPT QUIET
Spacey described the relationship much differently, appearing wistful as he looked at a photo the man sent him from a mountainous trek he took to raise money for charity. Spacey said the man was funny and charming and recalled their flirtatious time together, saying he probably took the lead in making physical contact: "I'm a big flirt."
Spacey shared evidence that he was working in Australia during the alleged car incident, which the victim claimed occurred between 2004 and 2005 while the pair drove to Elton John's annual gala. The actor insisted he'd only attended the event in 2001.
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.
"It wasn’t like a caress," another man testified. "It was like a cobra coming out and getting hold." The "House of Cards" actor called the allegation "madness" during Thursday's testimony.
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Spacey was labeled a "sexual bully" by prosecutors during opening statements June 30.
Spacey is "a man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable – a sexual bully," prosecutor Christine Agnew said. "His preferred method of assault is, it appears, to grab aggressively other men in the crotch."
Defense lawyer Patrick Gibbs said Spacey denied all allegations of nonconsensual activity and told jurors to ask themselves as they listened to the evidence what – if anything – had occurred when he was with the men. He suggested the alleged victims had other motives and that Spacey had left himself open to opportunists when he came out as gay in 2020.
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.
