Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty to All U.K. Sexual Assault Charges, Trial Date Set for June 2023

Kevin Spacey’s trial in the U.K. over multiple sexual assault allegations is set to begin next summer.

The two-time Oscar winner, 62, appeared at London’s historic Central Criminal Court — better known as the Old Bailey — on Thursday morning, his second U.K. court appearance in less than a month, where for the first time he formally pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him.

After some deliberation, Justice Mark Wall, who was overseeing the hearing, eventually set a date of June 6, 2023, for the trial, which will either take place at London’s Southwark Crown Court or at the Old Bailey, giving it a time frame of three to four weeks. Spacey is to remain on unconditional bail until then, allowing him to move freely in and out of the U.K., a decision that was set at his first hearing at Westminster Magistrate’s Court on June 16.

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Similar to his first appearance, Spacey arrived in a blue suit and navy tie and was greeted by a press circus outside the building, where photographers and journalists had been gathering for several hours. He seemed calm and confident throughout, saying very little during the hearing as he sat alone in the dock aside from confirming his full name, date of birth and saying “not guilty” to each charge. He also acknowledged the legal consequences should he not appear for his 2023 trial, even appearing to smile at Justice Wall.

When Spacey left the Old Bailey about 30 minutes following the hearing to get into a waiting car, a larger crowd was outside, including several bemused members of the public who just happened to be passing by.

The charges against Spacey, which were read out in full, involve four counts of sexual assault against three men dating back to 2005, along with one count of causing a person to engage in “penetrative sexual activity without consent.

At the June hearing, although Spacey wasn’t invited to give a formal plea, his lawyer Patrick Gibbs QC said the actor “strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case.” Gibbs also successfully fought for his client to be given unconditional bail, a move that prosecutor Natalie Dawson warned that, given the severity of the sentence were he to be found guilty, could see him not return. The prosecutor on Thursday, Christine Agnew, said she had no objections to Spacey’s bail.

Gibbs argued that Spacey had so far cooperated with all legal requirements, spending several hours being interviewed by the police in the U.S. and turning up voluntarily for the hearing. He also claimed that his work depended on him being able to travel.

“What is he going to do if he doesn’t answer charges, where is he going to hide?” he said. “Is he to be incarcerated in his flat in London, unable to work, unable to audition to work?” Gibbs added that Spacey wanted to be able to answer the charges if he “wants to proceed with his life.”