Kevin Spacey takes the stand at civil intercourse abuse trial By Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Kevin Spacey took the witness stand on Monday to testify in his personal protection in a trial over a civil lawsuit introduced by actor Anthony Rapp, who says the Oscar-winning star made an undesirable sexual advance in 1986 when Rapp was 14.

Rapp, now 50, testified earlier this month that an intoxicated Spacey – then 26 and appearing on Broadway – climbed on high of him at a celebration at his Manhattan house. Rapp, at first of his personal Broadway profession on the time, mentioned he was in a position to “swerve my manner out” however that the expertise scarred him.

Spacey, 63, has denied Rapp’s accusations in addition to sexual assault allegations by others.

U.S. District Decide Lewis Kaplan on Monday dismissed Rapp’s declare for intentional infliction of emotional misery, stating that the declare repeated his allegations of battery towards Spacey.

Kaplan allowed the battery declare to face, and it is going to be thought-about by a jury after Spacey makes his case and each side current closing arguments.

Final week, Spacey’s lawyer challenged Rapp’s reminiscence of the incident throughout cross-examination, questioning him on why he described the encounter of getting occurred in a bed room when Spacey lived in a studio on the time.

Rapp, who starred within the Broadway musical “Lease,” sued Spacey in November 2020 and is searching for $40 million in damages for battery and intentional infliction of emotional misery.

Spacey gained Oscars for finest actor in “American Magnificence” and finest supporting actor in “The Ordinary Suspects,” however his profession largely ended after greater than 20 males accused him of sexual misconduct. Netflix (NASDAQ:) dropped him from its political drama collection “Home of Playing cards,” and Christopher Plummer changed him within the function of J. Paul Getty in “All of the Cash within the World” weeks earlier than the film’s scheduled launch.

Spacey faces a felony trial in London subsequent 12 months after pleading not responsible to 5 intercourse offense prices over alleged assaults between 2005 and 2013.