Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey is set to return to court in London next year as he faces fresh civil sexual assault allegations linked to his time as artistic director of the Old Vic theatre, according to a High Court hearing on Wednesday.
Three individuals have filed lawsuits against the 66-year-old actor, three years after he was acquitted of criminal charges brought by four men in a 2023 London trial. Spacey, who was not present at the hearing, continues to deny all allegations of misconduct.
Two of the claimants were involved in the earlier criminal case, while the third, actor Ruari Cannon, has separately filed a claim against both Spacey and the Old Vic. Cannon has waived his anonymity, but the other two complainants remain unnamed.
Court filings state that the claims stem from alleged incidents between 2004 and 2015, during Spacey’s leadership at the theatre. One claimant alleges that Spacey repeatedly placed the man’s hand onto his clothed body. Details of other accusations were not disclosed during the session.
The new lawsuits add to years of legal scrutiny faced by the American Beauty and House of Cards star, whose career suffered significantly after allegations first surfaced during the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2017. Spacey has maintained his innocence throughout, and a $40 million civil suit against him in New York was dismissed in 2022.
At the preliminary hearing, Judge Christina Lambert tentatively scheduled the civil trials for October 2026. Lawyers are expected to return to court to determine whether the claims should be heard together or as separate trials.
Prosecutors are pushing for a combined hearing lasting up to nine days, while the defence argues that individual trials, each estimated at five to six days, would be more appropriate.
The High Court will make a final decision on the trial format at a later date.
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