On his 64th birthday, Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey received a significant legal victory as a UK jury found him not guilty of all nine charges against him, including sexual assault, indecent assault, and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity.
Kevin Spacey found not guilty in UK sexual assault case
As reported by Variety, the jury’s decision, which took 12 hours over two and a half days to reach, cleared Spacey of any wrongdoing related to the allegations brought against him in the UK.
Emotional Verdict
As the final verdict was read out at Southwark Crown Court in London, Kevin Spacey was visibly emotional, breaking down in tears.
A court usher offered him a tissue, and after the dock was unlocked, Spacey embraced his manager, Evan Lowenstein, and his legal team, expressing his gratitude for their support throughout the trial.
Spacey’s Statement
Following the trial, Spacey addressed the press, expressing his emotions and gratitude towards the jury for carefully examining all the evidence before reaching their decision.
He also thanked the courthouse staff, security personnel, and his legal team for their dedication during the trial.
“I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security and all those who took care of us every single day, my legal team … for being here every day and that’s all I have to say for the moment. Thank you very much,” he said.
The accounts of Spacey’s four rape accusers
During the trial, the jury heard from four men who had made complaints against Spacey. These allegations ranged from inappropriate touching to more serious charges of non-consensual sexual activity.
Spacey denied all accusations and maintained that any interactions he had with the individuals were consensual.
The first complaint involved a man who claimed Spacey had repeatedly grabbed his crotch during encounters in the early 2000s. Spacey maintained that their relationship had been consensual, but he denied the near-crash incident described by the man.
The second complaint came from a man who accused Spacey of making sexually aggressive comments and grabbing his crotch at a charity event in 2005. Spacey denied ever meeting the man at the event.
The third and most serious complaint alleged non-consensual oral sex at Spacey’s London apartment in 2008. Spacey provided telephone records contradicting the man’s account and asserted the encounter was consensual.
The fourth complaint involved an encounter at Spacey’s rented house in Gloucestershire, where the alleged victim claimed Spacey made unwanted advances. Spacey described it as a drunken “clumsy pass” and attempted to apologize.
The acquittal of all charges represents another legal victory for Kevin Spacey, who previously won a $40 million civil lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp in 2022. Rapp had accused Spacey of sexual battery, but the claim was dismissed by a New York jury.