As part of the ongoing trial against actor Kevin Spacey in the United Kingdom, music legend Elton John and filmmaker David Furnish have testified in court.
John and David Furnish discuss Spacey in court
Both John and Furnish were called as witnesses for the defense in the trial and spoke separately via video call. The pair were asked about Spacey’s attendance to the couple’s annual White Tie and Tiara ball that took place in the early 2000s, as well as whether or not Spacey had ever visited their home in Windsor.
According to John (via Variety), he did recall Spacey attending the party just once in 2001, with Furnish also noting that he did, but that he didn’t recall Spacey attending during any other year. Furnish also mentioned that it would have been an “impossible situation” for Spacey to attend without being photographed, while also noting that he couldn’t recall finding any photos of Spacey at the party in any previous years.
“It never happened,” Furnish said regarding a celebrity turning up without being photographed. “It was understood that we were promoting a charity that involves eradication of stigma around the disease and if a celebrity wanted to come they would be photographed and appear in OK.”
The White Tie and Tiara ball has been mentioned a variety of times in the ongoing trial, specifically due to Spacey’s involvement. According to one complainant, Spacey touched him several times without his consent while the pair were traveling to the party in 2004 or 2005.
In total, Spacey has 12 charges against him, including sexual assault and indecent assault, with different charges alleged to have occurred in a range from 2001 all the way to 2013.
Once heralded as a legendary actor, Spacey’s career came to a screeching halt in 2017 when he was accused of making sexual advances on then-14-year-old Anthony Rapp (an actor who appeared in a Broadway show with Spacey) in 1986. More allegations came forward following that, leading to Netflix cutting ties with Spacey on their planned film Gore, as well as removing him from the final season of the series House of Cards.
