Kevin Spacey faces civil trial on sexual assault claims

New York: On October 6, Kevin Spacey was in court to defend himself in a lawsuit filed by Anthony Rapp, the actor who, in 2017, made the first in a string of sexual misconduct allegations that left the 'House of Cards' star's theatre and filmmaking career in tatters.

Neither actor spoke to reporters as they arrived at a federal courthouse in New York City for the start of the trial, which is expected to last less than two weeks.

The lawsuit is over an alleged encounter between the two men in 1986 when Rapp was a blossoming child actor and Spacey, then 26, was having a breakout moment on Broadway.

Rapp, who was 14 at the time, said the older actor invited him to a party at his Manhattan apartment, then tried to seduce him in a bedroom after the other guests had left.

He said a drunk, swaying Spacey swept him up in his arms, like a groom carrying a bride, then laid him on a bed and climbed on top of him.

Rapp said he quickly wriggled away and left, then kept quiet about what happened for three decades as both actors saw their careers take off.

When Rapp told his story to 'Buzzfeed' in 2017 as the #MeToo movement began to grip Hollywood, Spacey said he had no recollection of the incident, but if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour.

Since then, though, Spacey's legal team has said the accusation is false. Rapp never attended the party, they said. And even if it had happened as Rapp described, they have argued, it wouldn't constitute a sexual advance.

Jury selection for the trial began on October 6, with opening statements to follow. Rapp wants compensation for mental and emotional suffering, medical expenses and loss of work.

The trial comes at a fraught time for Spacey, now 63.