Los Angeles, May 16 (IANS) A federal US judge has allowed a massage therapist to remain anonymous as he pursues a sexual assault lawsuit against disgraced A-list actor Kevin Spacey.
The therapist filed the suit in October 2018, alleging that the actor had tried to kiss him and forced him to grab his private parts during a massage session in Malibu in 2016. Spacey also faces a criminal charge in Nantucket, in which he is accused of groping a busboy. He has pleaded not guilty, reports variety.com.
In the civil case, Spacey's attorneys had asked Judge Ronald Lew to dismiss the suit because the plaintiff filed anonymously. The therapist's attorneys argued that disclosing his name could result in loss of business and expose him to potential physical harm.
Lew, In his ruling, held that courts have allowed sexual assault victims to remain anonymous to protect their privacy. Lew wrote, "The Court finds that anonymity is necessary to protect Plaintiff's privacy and to protect against any further trauma."
He said he may revisit the issue if the anonymity prevents Spacey's lawyers from conducting full discovery in the case.
The case was originally filed in state court in Los Angeles, but Spacey's attorneys moved it to federal court because Spacey lives in Maryland. The plaintiff's attorneys sought to move the case back to state court, but Lew rejected that request.
