Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, appeared on Monday as protection witnesses within the British trial of the actor Kevin Spacey, who’s accused of a number of counts of sexual assault.

Giving proof by way of video hyperlink from Monaco, Mr. John was requested about his recollections of Mr. Spacey attending his White Tie and Tiara Ball, an occasion Mr. John and Mr. Furnish hosted yearly at their British house for greater than a decade to boost cash to battle AIDS.

The occasion has been talked about a number of instances within the court docket case, which began last month. One complainant informed the British police that Mr. Spacey touched him a number of instances with out his consent, together with as soon as in both 2004 or 2005 when the actor grabbed his genitals so exhausting that he virtually veered off the highway as they had been driving to the White Tie and Tiara Ball.

The complainant stated he had then threatened to knock out Mr. Spacey, who had laughed and stated that the complainant’s anger turned him on.

Under British legislation, it’s unlawful for anybody to determine complainants in sexual assault instances, or to publish info which will trigger them to be recognized.

On Monday morning, Mr. John, 76, was requested whether or not Mr. Spacey had ever attended his ball. The singer stated that Mr. Spacey had attended as soon as, in 2001, later including that he didn’t recall Mr. Spacey visiting his house after that occasion.

“He came on a private jet and came straight to the ball,” Mr. John stated throughout his 13-minute look. Asked to verify that Mr. Spacey had arrived by non-public jet, Mr. John stated he supposed that was the case as a result of he didn’t assume anybody wore white tie on a industrial flight.

Mr. Furnish, 60, testifying individually by way of video hyperlink, stated that he additionally had no recollection of Mr. Spacey’s attending the ball after 2001. Mr. Furnish stated that he had appeared via outdated problems with OK!, a star journal that sponsored the ball, and Mr. Spacey didn’t seem in any pictures after the 2001 occasion.

Mr. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not responsible to 12 costs regarding incidents that the prosecution says involved four men and occurred from 2001 to 2013. For most of that point, the actor was the inventive director of the Old Vic theater, a serious London playhouse. Mr. John informed the court docket that in 2002 he was the chairman of the board of trustees that managed the theater.