Kevin Spacey has had a default judgment against him overturned by the High Court in London, setting the stage for a potential civil trial. This legal twist emerged from a lawsuit where a man claimed Spacey sexually assaulted him and caused “psychiatric damage.” This case was initially undermined by Spacey’s solicitors failing to file his defense in a timely manner, leading to a default judgment. However, Judge David Cook decided to set aside this judgment due to the error, expressing that it should not prevent Spacey from presenting his case at trial.

The allegations against Spacey stretch back to incidents reported between 2001 and 2013, parallel to which Spacey was acquitted in separate criminal proceedings of sexual offenses against four men. The civil proceedings in the High Court thus continue against a backdrop of a recent Channel 4 documentary, titled “Spacey Unmasked,” which raised additional claims dating from 1976. Spacey has denied any illegal activities or professional quid pro quos for sexual favors, while acknowledging some past behaviors and disputing others as exaggerated or fabricated.

Claire Glasgow, representing the claimant, asserted the importance of moving forward to trial in the civil courts, signaling a sustained pursuit of justice beyond the criminal trial outcomes. As the legal process transitions back to the trial phase, public and media scrutiny persist, focusing on both the substantive allegations and the procedural aspects of Spacey’s legal defense.