A Kevin Spacey assault accuser whose lawsuit was headed to trial next year has died

The massage therapist who accused Kevin Spacey of sexual assault and had a lawsuit against him headed to trial in 2020 has died.

Spacey's anonymous accuser, who filed his lawsuit as John Doe in September 2018, "recently passed," attorneys for the plaintiff reportedly told the actor's legal team recently.

The anonymous man was suing Spacey for battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment, per The Hollywood Reporter. He alleged Spacey tried to kiss him, forced him to grab and rub his genitals, and blocked the exit during a 2016 massage in Malibu. Spacey has denied the allegations.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The accuser's legal team was planning to call two other massage therapists accusing Spacey of misconduct at the civil trial, which had been set for June 2020, Variety reports. The accuser's estate could potentially continue the lawsuit, Page Six notes.

Spacey had previously been facing indecent assault and battery charges after being accused of groping a busboy in a Nantucket bar, but those charges were dropped in July due to the "unavailability of the complaining witness." Spacey's accuser had pleaded his Fifth Amendment rights when questioned about the status of his cell phone, which he used during the encounter with Spacey. A civil lawsuit brought over this alleged assault was also dropped. More than a dozen men have accused Spacey of sexual misconduct.

Further information about the death of Spacey's anonymous accuser has not been released.