Spacey has previously been cleared of several sexual assault charges. Source: Shutterstock.
A jury has found that Kevin Spacey did not molest then 14-year-old Anthony Rapp with the actor now cleared in the New York civil trial.
It took the jury little over an hour to come to their verdict after a three-week trial that saw testimonies from both sides of the case.
When the decision was announced, Spacey could be seen dropping his head and hugging his lawyer Jennifer Keller, who later said “We’re very grateful to the jury for seeing through these false allegations”.
“What’s next is Mr Spacey is going to be proven that he’s innocent of anything he’s been accused of, that there was no truth to any of the allegations.”
Anthony Rapp had claimed Spacey sexually abused him at a New York apartment in 1986 when Spacey was 26 and Rapp was 14. He was seeking damages of $40 million for emotional distress.
A New York jury found Anthony Rapp did not prove his allegations against Kevin Spacey.
Read more on the verdict and case: https://t.co/73DrinNoPN pic.twitter.com/Sm4CKaFWAp
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 20, 2022
On Thursday, lawyers put forward their closing arguments.
Richard Steigman, lawyer for Rapp implored the jurors to ensure that Spacey take responsibility for his actions by finding him guilty. He also accused Spacey of lying when giving his witness statements.
“He lacks credibility. Sometimes the simple truth is the best. The simple truth is that this happened,” Mr Steigman said.
Spacey’s lawyer Ms Keller told the jury that Rapp had made the encounter up because he was jealous of the success Spacey has had with his career.
“So here we are today and Mr Rapp is getting more attention from this trial than he has in his entire acting life,” she said.
She also alleged that Rapp had based the events on his part in Precious Sons in which his character was picked up and laid on top of mistakenly by his father, who thought that Rapp’s character was his wife.
While Spacey may have been cleared in the New York civil trial, he still faces sexual assault charges in the UK where three men allege that the 63-year-old actor assaulted them.
He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and will begin the trial in June 2023.
