In a London court on Wednesday, Kevin Spacey, the Oscar-winning U.S. actor, was found not guilty on nine charges of multiple sex assaults against four men. The jury, after 12 hours and 26 minutes of deliberation, acquitted Spacey by a majority. The alleged incidents occurred between 2004 and 2013 while he was working at London’s Old Vic theatre.
Kevin Spacey Not Guilty on Multiple Sex Assault Charges
On the same day, as Spacey celebrated his 64th birthday, the verdict brought tears to his eyes. He mouthed a heartfelt “thank you” to the nine male and three female jurors, wiping away tears with a tissue.
Following the verdict, Kevin Spacey humbly addressed the media, acknowledging the emotional impact of the trial. He expressed immense gratitude to the jury for carefully examining all the evidence before reaching their decision.
The Hollywood star engaged with five jurors in the lobby of Southwark Crown Court before facing a crowd of journalists and photographers. Despite the challenging circumstances, Spacey displayed grace and appreciation for the jury’s effort.
As Spacey walked to a waiting taxi, he faced a swarm of cameras, receiving both applause and well-wishes from the public. One woman even shouted, “We love you, Kevin.”
Throughout the four-week trial, prosecutors portrayed Spacey as a “sexual bully,” accusing him of aggressively groping three men and performing oral sex on the fourth while he was unconscious in Spacey’s London apartment.
In his defense, Spacey, tried under his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler, maintained that the case against him was weak. He contended that any encounters, if they occurred, were consensual. He described himself as promiscuous, admitting to being a “big flirt” who engaged in “casual, indiscriminate sexual encounters.”
One of the complainants alleged that Spacey had painfully grabbed his crotch like “a cobra” in the mid-2000s, a claim that Spacey vehemently denied as “absolute bollocks.”
While acknowledging the possibility of making a clumsy pass at one of the men, Spacey adamantly denied assaulting anyone. He suggested that the accusers might have come forward to seek financial gains, pointing out that three of the four had filed civil lawsuits against him. Additionally, Spacey revealed that he had hired private investigators to look into at least three of the men.
Kevin Spacey became one of the prominent figures in the entertainment industry facing allegations of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement. The Old Vic initiated an investigation, receiving 20 separate allegations of inappropriate behavior in 2017.
Throughout the trial, references to Spacey’s interactions with fellow actors and celebrities, such as Val Kilmer and Judi Dench, emerged. Testimony from singer Elton John and his husband David Furnish, given via videolink from Monaco, became part of Spacey’s defense.
His lawyer, Patrick Gibbs, emphasized that liking sex or having casual sex, even as a famous person, is not a crime. He firmly stated that engaging in consensual sex with someone of the same sex is entirely acceptable, emphasizing that it’s 2023, not 1823.
In conclusion, the trial’s emotional toll on Kevin Spacey was evident as he was found not guilty of the multiple sex assault charges. The verdict marks the end of a challenging legal battle for the Hollywood star, whose career has been marred by the #MeToo movement’s allegations. The trial’s outcome highlights the importance of impartial justice, careful consideration of evidence, and the complexities surrounding cases of sexual misconduct.