British rock star Elton John on Monday gave evidence as a witness for the defence at the sexual assault trial of Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey.
The two-time Oscar winner denies 12 charges concerning four men, including indecent assault, which are alleged to have occurred between 2001 and 2013.
Giving evidence via video-link from Monaco, John and his husband David Furnish were questioned by the prosecution about Spacey attending a fundraising ball at their home in Windsor, west of London.
One of the alleged victims has accused Spacey, 63, of grabbing him in the crotch while he was driving the actor to the celebrity event.
The complainant claimed he grabbed “so hard”, he nearly came off the road.
Spacey has said there was a mutual flirtation between them and admitted to having touched the man but not in a “violent, aggressive, painful way”.
John said he recalled Spacey attending the fundraising event in the early 2000s but could not remember him visiting the property after that.
“He was on a flight, he came on a private jet and he came straight to the ball,” John told the court, adding that Spacey stayed overnight at the their home after the event.
“I can’t remember him coming after that,” John told the Southwark Crown Court in south London.
Asked if he came straight from the private jet, the singer said “I assume so, yes”.
Furnish, who was first to give evidence, also said he remembered Spacey’s presence at the social event.
“He was an Oscar-winning actor, there was a lot of excitement he was at the ball,” Furnish told the jury.
The prosecution has claimed Spacey was a “sexual bully” who revelled in making others feel uncomfortable, including by aggressively grabbing men’s crotches.
Last week the court heard Spacey’s testimony, in which he denied the sexual assault charges and described the prosecution’s case against him as “weak”.
Spacey, an Academy Award winner for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty”, was artistic director of London’s Old Vic theatre from 2004 to 2015.
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