Sir Elton John and his associate David Furnish have given proof as defence witnesses on the sexual assault trial of actor Kevin Spacey.
The Hollywood actor – famed for his roles in American Magnificence, Child Driver, Home Of Playing cards and extra – is on trial accused of 12 sexual offences towards 4 males between 2001 and 2013 together with sexual assault and indecent assault. The 63-year-old has pleaded not responsible to all accusations.
Now, whereas on trial following the allegations, music icon Elton John has been known as as a defence witness and given proof to the court docket.
Sir Elton and his associate have been known as to share their recollections about Spacey’s attendance at a 2001 occasion hosted by the musician and Furnish on the latter’s house in Windsor. It is because Spacey is alleged to have sexually assaulted a person whereas he was driving to the occasion.
The actor denies going to the occasion within the yr that the prosecution claims the assault passed off.
Showing over a video hyperlink from Monaco yesterday (July 17), Sir Elton was requested by prosecutor Christine Agnew KC if he had a recollection of Spacey on the White Tie and Tiara Ball, to which he mentioned he did.
“Sure, he got here in white tie, and he got here straight from a non-public jet. Sure, I don’t suppose he’d put on white tie in any other case,” he mentioned (through Sky Information).
He added that Spacey purchased a Mini Cooper at an public sale held that evening for the Elton John AIDS Basis and stayed in a single day at his husband’s Windsor house, though he was unable to “bear in mind him coming down after that”.
Furnish additionally appeared on the video hyperlink to supply his recollection of the 2001 occasion and mentioned that he remembered Spacey attending as a result of “as an Oscar-winning actor, there was a whole lot of pleasure he was on the ball”.
Furnish advised Southwark Crown Courtroom that he had checked pictures taken of all of the company and believes that Spacey had solely attended that one yr.
Spacey denies three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one depend of inflicting an individual to have interaction in sexual exercise with out consent. Different expenses he denies embrace 4 additional expenses of sexual assault and one depend of inflicting an individual to have interaction in penetrative sexual exercise with out consent.
The trial continues.
Final month, the actor mentioned he is able to make a comeback if cleared of the costs.
“It’s a time through which lots of people are very afraid that in the event that they assist me, they are going to be cancelled,” he mentioned in an interview with Zeitmagazin.
“However I do know that there are individuals proper now who’re prepared to rent me the second I’m cleared of those expenses in London. The second that occurs, they’re prepared to maneuver ahead.”
