Kevin Spacey 'exposed himself to British barman then gave him £5,000 watch to keep quiet'
'I thought he was joking but he took off his watch and gave it to me'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British barman is the latest to accuse Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct.
Daniel Beal told The Sun that the actor approached him as he took a cigarette break while working as a barman at the Goodwood Park Hotel, West Sussex in 2010. At the time, Spacey was artistic director of London's Old Vic theatre and had attended a production at the Chichester Festival Theatre nearby.
Beal alleges Spacey sat down beside the then 19-year-old on a bench, flashing his privates and telling him, "It's big, isn't it?", before trying to pull his hand toward him. When Beal returned to the bar to work, Spacey allegedly followed him and insisted on giving him a Swiss watch worth £5,000 in value.
"I thought he was joking but he took off his watch and gave it to me," Beal stated. "Looking back I realise it was to keep me quiet."
Previous to this, Beal claims that "every time I tried to give him a drink he'd touch my hand in a weird way. He was drinking more and more - he got through a bottle of Jack Daniels." He alleges that Spacey had initially followed him outside during his first cigarette break and offered him weed, stating: "Come back to my room."
"Looking back, he was trying to manipulate me from the moment he walked into the bar. In hindsight, that must have been grooming. He was just like his character in House Of Cards — seedy and a bit weird," Beal said.
He added that he sold the watch for £3,200 the next day. "All my friends were telling me to keep it. But I felt dirty wearing it," he said. He then claims Spacey's management phoned Beal several days later and asked for the watch back.
When he said he'd lost it, Beal then alleges the management made a complaint to the hotel about him. Furthermore, he says he received a call from Spacey several weeks later, asking to meet up.
Beal says he was encouraged to come forward after the allegations made by Anthony Rapp, who claims Spacey made sexual advances on him when he was 14 years old. Spacey responded to Rapp's allegations in a statement, saying he is “beyond horrified to hear his story” but does not remember the incident.
Spacey also faces further allegations from two men who claimed they were groped by the actor. Actor Robert Cavazos wrote on Facebook that he encountered Spacey at the bar of London's Old Vic Theatre, where Spacey was artistic director from 2004-15, and that the actor tried to grope him against his will.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Filmmaker Tony Montana accuses Spacey of groping him while he was in an LA bar in 2003. "I went up to order a drink and Kevin came up to me and put his arm around me," he told Radar. "He was telling me to come with him, to leave the bar. He put his hand on my crotch forcefully and grabbed my whole package."
Representatives for Spacey have said: "Kevin Spacey is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment. No other information is available at this time."
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.