(posted 7305 days ago)Mirror
YEAH, RIGHT KEV...
Apr 20 2004
By Alexandra WilliamsHOLLYWOOD star Kevin Spacey yesterday admitted he had lied to police about being mugged in a park on a 4.30am dog walk.
The double Oscar winner reported an attack to police but withdrew the complaint hours later.
Yesterday he revealed he was actually tricked into handing over his mobile phone and hurt his head tripping over his dog chasing the thief.
He said: "I fell for a con. Some sob story about somebody needing to call their mother and could they use my phone. It was such a good con, that I actually dialled the number myself and when somebody answered I handed over my phone.
"And this kid took off and I was so upset I ran after him. It was late in the morning and I was walking my dog. It was about 4am, and I tripped up over my dog, and I ended up falling on to the street and hitting my head.
"And now I'm bleeding relatively profusely, I'm extremely upset, I feel like the biggest fool that has ever lived. I march over to the police station and I say I got mugged."
The 44-year-old claimed he had fudged the facts due to embarrassment - and in the hope police would "run out and find this kid a block later". The actor, who has fought rumours he is gay, also said the early-hours dog walk was "a perfectly normal thing".
Yesterday a police source said: "He's lucky the police are not pursuing him for wasting time."
Spacey "came clean" about the Mirror's exclusive on Saturday's incident at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park near his home in Kennington, South London, on BBC Radio 4. The American Beauty star explained why he withdrew the claim, saying: "I thought there is a difference between assault and theft."
He went on: "I just want to apologise to the police and any readers and anyone who picks up this story thinking it is actually true."
Asked about his early-hours walk he said: "You know walking your dog in the park is a perfectly normal thing to do... My doggy had to go!"
He later looked uncomfortable when the Mirror tried to ask him about the theft as he dined in the Old Vic's Pit Bar. An aide said: "We are going to make a statement but not yet."
Police are not investigating.