Judge: Spacey must appear in person at felony arraignment

Actor Kevin Spacey must appear in person next week for an arraignment on a felony assault charge, a Massachusetts judge said Monday.

Nantucket District Judge Thomas Barrett denied Spacey’s request to skip the arraignment, according to The Associated Press.

{mosads}Spacey, who plans to plead not guilty to a charge of indecent assault and battery, had said he shouldn’t have to attend the arraignment because doing so would “amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case,” the AP reported.

His attorney, Juliane Balliro, also said in court documents that Spacey’s appearance would “heighten prejudicial media interest in the case” and increase the likelihood of a tainted jury, according to the AP.

Spacey is accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man at a bar in 2016. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 7 at 11 a.m., according to the Boston Globe.

Spacey, an Academy Award-winning actor and the former star of the Netflix political drama “House of Cards,” has faced several other accusations of sexual assault after allegations first emerged last year. The allegations resulted in Netflix cutting ties with Spacey and filming the final season of “House of Cards” without him.