By Evridiki Fatolia,
Kevin Spacey, who faced charges of sexual abuse against four men, welcomed the London court’s decision with tears in his eyes. The twice Oscar-winning actor was acquitted of nine charges, including sexual assault and forced penetration, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, the same day he turned 64. If the court found him guilty, he would face a sentence of up to life imprisonment. After he left the court he spoke to the journalists covering the trial. “I imagine that many of you can understand that there is a lot I have to work on after what happened today. I feel humble in the face of the result,” said Kevin Spacey, still moved. The charges against him had been formulated for incidents allegedly taking place between 2004 and 2013, when the actor was the artistic director of London’s historic theatre, Old Vic. He had declared himself innocent of all charges, claiming on his part that any contact with the men was consensual.
She admitted that she flirted a lot and had “efemeral, non-discriminatory sexual contacts”. Spacey’s lawyer, Partick Gibbs, had defended him by telling the jury that it is not a crime for his client to enjoy sex “because it’s 2023 and not 1823,” he said.
The jury, consisting of six men and three women, met for three days after hearing evidence from both sides in a five-week trial.
Three of his four indictees claimed to have bullied them aggressively, while the fourth claimed that Kevin Spacey forced him into oral sex when he was unconscious in the star’s apartment in London. He was described as a “bad sexual predator”, “soft” and “abominable, disgusting”.
Kevin Spacey was defended by the testimonies of Elton John and his husband, David Furnish. The actor, for his part, claimed that the motivation of the four men was money, as he said they had also resorted to civil courts demanding huge compensation. One, according to what the actor said, demands about 577 thousand dollars.
Kevin Spacey appeared to say “thank you” bursting into tears when hearing the verdict. The actor has essentially been expelled from Hollywood after numerous charges against him. A year ago, he had won his legal dispute with Anthony Rapp in Manhattan who had accused him of sexual abuse.
Kevin Spacey was accused by Anthony Rapp in 2017 in an interview with BuzzFeed News, at the beginning of the #MeToo movement in the US. The actor accused him that at a party in 1986 when he was 14 and Kevin Spacey 26, the latter had picked him up in his arms, threw him into a bed and remained stuck on him with sexual intentions, until the 14-year-old ran away and ran into the bathroom “fearing for his safety”.
Anthony Rapp waited in the bathroom and after a few minutes left the apartment, while Kevin Spacey was trying to convince him to stay. Anthony Rapp sued his colleague in 2020, demanding $40 million in compensation.
Kevin Spacey, who had initially apologized to Anthony Rapp in a letter noting that he did not remember the incident and who, in an attempt to change the course of the discussion on his case, had in the same letter made his coming out as a gay man, denied the charges. The US court found Kevin Spacey “not responsible” for sexual assault against Anthony Rapp.
On the evening of Wednesday, July 26, Kevin Spacey celebrated the court ruling on his cases in London with his exit to the city and more specifically to the Groucho Club, which is accessed strictly and exclusively by his members.
At the end of the day it was the end of a trial that marked both the Me Too movement in Hollywood and in general the movie industry. It is a trademark decision for both of the sides.
