THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

The decision was revealed by the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which has spent more than a year reviewing a file passed to them by the Metropolitan Police.

"The CPS has authorized criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men," said Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division. "He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr. Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial."

The charges are the latest in a series of legal battles that Spacey has been fighting since allegations of his sexual assault and misconduct were first publicly exposed in 2017 by Rent and Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp. Rapp told Buzzfeed News that when he was 14, Spacey made a non-consensual sexual advance toward him at a party. Spacey has denied those claims.

It was shortly after the initial allegation that Spacey came out as gay.

Subsequent suits against Spacey have been dropped—including a civil suit in which the plaintiff died.