After largely being out of the public eye since his career took a nosedive in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Kevin Spacey made a surprise court appearance Monday in the groping case against him.
Wearing a gray suit, striped tie and black-rim glasses, Spacey was silent as he walked into the Nantucket courtroom. He was not required to appear for the pretrial hearing, but he did so anyway.
Spacey is accused of groping a then-18-year-old busboy at a local restaurant in 2016.
Spacey pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery, and his lawyers have called the allegations "patently false." They said the interaction was "a flirtation" and nothing more.
If convicted, he faces up to 2 1/2 years in jail.
The actor's lawyers want access to the cellphone the teen used to record part of his encounter with Spacey. The attorney's say the busboy's mother deleted evidence on the phone before turning it over to police.
This is the only criminal case brought against Spacey following several sexual misconduct allegations.
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