Kevin Spacey on Thursday defeated a sexual abuse declare in opposition to him after jurors in Manhattan civil trial discovered his accuser, actor Anthony Rapp, did not show his declare that the Oscar winner made an undesirable sexual advance on him when he was 14.
The verdict adopted a three-week trial in Manhattan federal court docket and got here roughly two hours after jurors started deliberating.
Rapp, now 50, testified that Spacey climbed on high of him on a mattress and pressed his groin into Rapp’s hip till he was capable of wriggle free. Spacey denied the allegation on the stand and mentioned he had by no means been alone with Rapp.
During closing arguments, Rapp’s lawyer urged jurors to discredit Spacey’s recollection of the occasions.
“It’s inconsistent. It’s unfit of your perception,” mentioned Richard Steigman, citing what he claimed had been gaps in Spacey’s recollection and modifications in his recollection.
Steigman declined remark following the decision.
Spacey’s lawyer argued story was a fabrication
Spacey’s lawyer, Jennifer Keller, argued throughout her closing arguments that Rapp’s story was a fabrication. She superior a number of theories for why Rapp may need lied, together with a need for consideration or jealousy of Spacey’s performing success.
“Mr. Rapp is getting extra consideration on this trial than he has in his whole performing life,” Keller mentioned.
Spacey gained Oscars for performances in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, however his profession largely ended after greater than 20 males accused him of sexual misconduct.
Netflix dropped him from its political drama sequence House of Cards and Christopher Plummer changed him within the position of J. Paul Getty in All the Money within the World weeks earlier than the film’s scheduled launch in 2017.
The civil trial started on Oct. 6, just below 5 years after Spacey’s profession was upended by sexual misconduct allegations within the early days of the #MeToo motion, which inspired ladies to talk out about sexual abuse by well-known and highly effective folks. Men additionally got here ahead with claims of abuse.
Spacey has denied any misconduct.
‘This is not a group sport’
Keller urged jurors to disregard the sexual politics of the case.
“This is not a group sport, the place you are both on the #MeToo aspect or the opposite aspect,” Keller mentioned.
Rapp sued Spacey for battery and intentional infliction of emotional misery in November 2020.
During the trial, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan dismissed the emotional misery declare however allowed the remainder of the lawsuit to proceed.
Spacey faces a prison trial in London subsequent 12 months after pleading not responsible to 5 intercourse offence fees over alleged assaults between 2005 and 2013.