Lawyer: Spacey Accuser Was 'Frozen' as Actor Lay on Him

If Kevin Spacey was bothered by the testimony this week of a man who says the actor sexually abused him when he was 14 and Spacey was 26, the 63-year-old actor didn't show it. NBC News reports Spacey "seemed relaxed" on the first day of his civil trial in New York, chuckling whenever the judge made a joke and "[smiling] at prospective jurors." Accuser Anthony Rapp, 50, who currently appears in the Star Trek: Discovery TV series, appeared more "solemn," the outlet notes, at one point even breaking into tears during a pause before opening arguments began. The detailing on what Rapp says happened at a party in Manhattan in 1986 was presented by his lawyer, Peter Saghir, who explained to the court how Rapp had been invited to the get-together in Spacey's apartment that night by Spacey himself, whom Rapp had met in Broadway circles.

Saghir noted that because Rapp didn't know anyone at the party, he retreated to a bedroom to watch TV, but a drunk and "unsteady" Spacey came into the room later that night. Rapp accuses Spacey of then grabbing him by the buttocks, placing the young teen on a bed, then briefly lying on top of him, per court documents, though he eventually "wriggled out." Rapp felt "frozen" during the encounter, Saghir told the court. "What happened to Anthony is something that never should have happened," he said. Spacey's lawyer painted an entirely different picture, claiming Rapp made the whole thing up, mainly because he's been "simmering with resentment" that Spacey went on to enjoy international stardom and Rapp didn't, per CNN. Attorney Jennifer Keller told the court that Rapp's narrative "borrowed" details from Precious Sons, a play he was in at the time in which a similar scene plays out.

Keller also produced a floor plan showing Spacey's apartment didn't have a bedroom—Spacey slept in a wall-less portion of the alcove studio. "Mr. Rapp's entire story hinges on there being a bedroom," she noted. The trial for the former House of Cards star began nearly five years after Rapp first came out with his allegations. Rapp is seeking punitive and compensatory damages on his claims of battery and emotional distress. Spacey denies the allegations, despite an initial apology in which he said he could've been drunk enough to not remember the alleged incident. The New York Times has more on the trial, which resumes Friday, including the back-and-forth on whether the statute of limitations law Rapp is relying on applies in this case. Rapp is expected to testify, as is another Spacey accuser. Spacey has another trial coming up in the UK, where he's facing four charges of sexual assault. (More Kevin Spacey stories.)