Actor Spacey has agreed to take the stand against himself in the wake of a sexual assault scandal that forced him to seek a living in Italy

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, 62, released a statement via Good Morning America, saying he would fly to the UK to appear in court to clear his name and defend himself against allegations of sexual assault.

The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on Tuesday authorized criminal charges against Spacey, who plays the lead actor in House of Cards, for four counts of sexual assault against three men. The incidents took place between March 2005 and August 2008 in London and April 2013 in Gloucestershire, England. The victims are currently aged in their 30s and 40s, the Metropolitan Police said.

"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all those concerned that criminal proceedings are ongoing against Mr Spacey and that he is entitled to a fair trial," the Metropolitan Police said, going back as far as 1996. It is understood that while the Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges, Spacey has not been formally charged as he is not in the UK.

This is not the first time Spacey has been accused of sexual assault. Back in 2017, Star Trek Discovery actor Anthony Rapp, 51, became the first person to accuse Spacey of sexual assault, saying publicly that he had been assaulted by Spacey on two separate occasions when he was 14 and 26. Since then, more than 15 people have come forward to say they were assaulted by Spacey.

Spacey initially kept quiet, trying to wait for the heat to subside, but the scandal erupted at the height of the ME TOO movement and prompted him to respond on Twitter. He was vague, saying he didn't remember doing it, but would apologize to Rapp if he did. Spacey also took the opportunity to open up about his sexuality.

But his attempt to bring the sexual assault scandal to light did not escape the eyes of the public. The popular actor, who was once highly acclaimed for his acting skills, was immediately criticized and reviled by the public, and his reputation plummeted, leading to the final season of his hit TV series House of Cards, which had to be replaced with a female storyline and Spacey's scenes removed altogether.

In 2020, a man identified only as C.D. claimed that in 1983, when he was 14, he attended an acting class with Spacey, who invited him to his home and forced him to have a deep sexual encounter. C.D. alleges that the last time they met, Spacey again tried to sexually assault him, and that Spacey did not stop even when he explicitly refused. They had to run away.

In 2021, The Hollywood Reporter reported that most of Spacey's sexual advances took place at the Old Vic London theater, mostly against young actors. Spacey has denied numerous allegations of sexual assault, and a number of cases have been dropped. Still, the career of one of Hollywood's biggest stars was coming to an irretrievable end. Spacey has been out of work since he was kicked off the House of Cards team and a number of Hollywood actors and companies announced they would no longer work with him.

Spacey was once one of Hollywood's biggest stars, winning two Oscar statuettes, a Golden Globe for best actor and several Emmy nominations. These glowing accolades are public recognition of his acting skills. Spacey's thoughtful "serial killer" in "Seven" is still chilling, but so is Lester, a middle-aged man struggling with mediality in "American Beauty." Many others were drawn to his role on "House of Cards," where Mr. Spacey portrayed Underwood, a career politician, as wily and ambitious.

Banished from Hollywood, Spacey now has to make a living in Italy. After years of silence, he took on an Italian film, "The Man Who Painted God," which was Spacey's first starring role after being banned by Hollywood. It seems that despite his reputation, the former best actor is still trying to make it in the entertainment industry. But with the notoriety he now has, the film's box office numbers are a worry.

More than 20 people have now accused Spacey of sexual assault. "I am very grateful to the Crown Prosecution Service for their statement, in which they have taken care to remind the press and the public that I am entitled to a fair trial and that I am innocent until proven otherwise," Spacey said in the statement read out on Tuesday.

"While I am disappointed with their decision, once this is arranged, I will voluntarily appear in court in the UK to defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence."