Nantucket District Court Judge Thomas Barrett has denied Kevin Spacey his request to not attend his arraignment next week. Barrett did not provide a reason for his decision, but Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Michael Giardino said last week that the actor’s appearance is required under Massachusetts state rules for criminal case procedure. Spacey and his team were looking to avoid the arraignment because his appearance will “amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case.” Spacey is being charged with felony sexual assault.
Kevin Spacey will have to attend his arraignment on January 7th. It was revealed on Christmas Eve that the actor was being charged with felony sexual assault from an incident that took place in the summer of 2016. Spacey allegedly provided an 18-year old man with alcoholic beverages, which resulted in intoxication. The man reportedly told the actor that he was 23-years old and Spacey started to allegedly grope the man while in the restaurant, which was filmed and sent to the man’s girlfriend. After drinks, the two went outside to smoke a cigarette, which is when Spacey allegedly assaulted the 18-year old.
When the felony charge became public news, Kevin Spacey released a video of himself as House of Cards character Frank Underwood on social media. It was his first public appearance in over a year and it seemed to defend Spacey’s actions, noting that, “My confidence grows each day that soon enough, you will know the full truth.” However, the video went on to say that he “knows” that we all want him “back,” which was just the tip of the iceberg in the strange video that has now been watched over 8 million times on YouTube.
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According to court documents, Kevin Spacey will enter a plea of not guilty when he appears in court next week. This is the first criminal charge against the disgraced actor, who is still under investigation in the UK and Los Angeles after more than 30 men came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Spacey. It has also been heavily hinted that Spacey could be extradited to the UK, where 20 men have accused the actor of misconduct during the course of his 2004 to 2015 tenure as the artistic director of London’s Old Vic Theatre.
Actor Anthony Rapp was the first one to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Kevin Spacey in November of 2017. Before that, there had been whispers of Spacey’s behavior in the entertainment industry for decades, though it was rarely talked about, and if it was, it was told in the form of a joke from comedians or TV shows. Since the avalanche of allegations, Spacey has been out of public view, but he has been spotted out and about more than once over the last two weeks, not counting his bizarre Frank Underwood video. The court documents for the arraignment were first obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.