Elton John provided testimony on Monday in defense of Kevin Spacey during his sexual assault trial. Spacey’s lawyer aimed to discredit a man who claimed that the actor aggressively grabbed his crotch while driving to John’s summer ball. John appeared in court via video link from Monaco, following his husband David Furnish’s testimony stating that Spacey did not attend the party in the year of the alleged incident. Furnish further supported Spacey’s testimony by reviewing photographs from the party, confirming that Spacey only appeared in images from 2001. John, however, stated that Spacey did attend the party in the early 2000s after flying in on a private jet. He emphasized that Spacey’s presence caused excitement and buzz at the ball due to his Oscar-winning status. Additionally, John confirmed that Spacey spent the night at their house after the event and purchased a Mini Cooper at the auction held that night for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
The alleged victim admitted that he may have gotten the year wrong but insisted that he would not forget the incident. He claimed that Spacey had fondled him for several years starting in the early 2000s, with this particular incident being the final straw. Spacey, on the other hand, stated that they were friends and engaged in consensual romantic contact, respecting the man’s wishes not to go further. Spacey expressed his disappointment upon learning that the man had complained to the police, asserting that the man had misrepresented their consensual touching.
Furnish, who described the accuser as “charming,” supported Spacey’s characterization of him. Spacey, 63, pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges, including sexual assault and indecent assault counts. During his testimony, he insisted that he never sexually assaulted three of the four accusers who described disturbing encounters between 2001 and 2013. However, he admitted to making a “clumsy pass” during a night of heavy drinking with the fourth accuser.
This testimony from Elton John follows his retirement from a 50-year touring career, which concluded with a show in Stockholm. Notably, John and Furnish have also appeared in a London courtroom this year in their phone hacking lawsuit with Prince Harry against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper. Both John and Furnish, along with the Duke of Sussex, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sadie Frost, allege that Associated Newspapers Ltd. violated their privacy by intercepting voicemails and engaging in unlawful surveillance. The case is currently under consideration, as the publisher has argued that the claims were brought forth too late.
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