Tayyaba
On his 64th birthday, Kevin Spacey has been found innocent of all charges made against him in the United Kingdom. The jury pondered on the decision for two days before reaching a conclusion, and when they found Spacey not guilty of the nine severe charges of sexual assault, the actor burst into tears. The former House of Cards cast member has been battling his case at Southwark Crown Court in London for the past four and a half weeks and this win was a huge deal for him and his career.
How many charges had been made against Kevin Spacey?
Kevin Spacey wept in court on Wednesday as a British jury ruled him not guilty of nine charges of sexual assault, indecent assault, and inducing a person to engage in penetrative sexual behavior. Spacey was originally charged with 12 charges, plus an addition to one of them, but this was lowered to nine last week owing to a “legal technicality.” The jury heard from the four men who filed the complaints against the actor throughout the trial, none of whom can be named due to legal reasons, and dismissed their charges one by one.
The acquittals are yet another success for Spacey, who last October won a $40 million civil lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp. Rapp accused Spacey of sexual abuse which allegedly took place in 1986, but a New York jury rejected the accusation.
What were the charges made by the four men and what did Kevin Spacey say about them?
One of the men alleged that Spacey had frequently grabbed him by the crotch, including once while they were driving on the highway, gripping him so forcefully by the genitals that he nearly drove the car off the road. Spacey stated that the men had a “consensual” connection that included some touching, but he rejected the near-crash event completely and gave proof that it could not have occurred within the time period the man claimed. The second accusation concerned a 2005 charity event at which a man accused Kevin of making many sexually hostile statements before pushing him against a wall and groping his genitals. Spacey responded by claiming he never met the individual during the occasion.
The third complaint was the most serious, with the possibility of a life sentence. The individual lodging the complaint claimed that in 2008, he arrived at Spacey’s London residence, fell asleep or was made unconscious, and awoke to discover Spacey “performing oral sex” on him. Spacey claimed the encounter was consensual and produced telephone records that contradicted the man’s testimony, which was definitely important evidence. The fourth allegation concerned a gathering held at Spacey’s leased residence in Gloucestershire. After meeting the alleged victim at the pub, a group went to Spacey’s house, where the actor kissed his neck, grabbed his penis, and urged, “be cool, be cool.” Spacey denied sexual assault but described the event as a drunken “clumsy pass” for which he subsequently apologized.