Kevin Spacey was found not liable in a civil sexual misconduct trial Thursday following more than an hour of deliberations by a jury in a New York federal courtroom.
“Mr. Spacey is grateful to live in a country where the citizens have a right to trial by impartial jurors who make their decision based on evidence and not rumor or social media,” Spacey said through his lawyer Jennifer Keller in a statement to Fox News Digital. “He is deeply thankful to this particular jury. This was a highly educated group of six women and five men, all except one college graduate and most with graduate degrees. Their verdict was swift and decisive. Justice was done today.”
Jurors reached the verdict shortly before 4 p.m. in the civil lawsuit. The former “House of Cards” actor was accused of assault, battery and emotional distress stemming from an incident against Anthony Rapp in 1986 when he was 14 years old.
“We’re very grateful that this American jury saw through these false allegations,” Keller said shortly after the verdict was read. “Spacey is deeply grateful. What’s next is Mr. Spacey is going to be proving that he’s innocent of anything he’s been accused of.”
The lawsuit sought $40 million in damages.
Kevin Spacey appeared in a New York court to face a civil lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp, who accuses the disgraced Oscar winner of assaulting him as a teenager, in 1986.
(Ed Jones/AFP)
“There was no truth to any of the allegations,” Keller said. “This was a highly intelligent, highly educated jury. They’re very, very bright people.”
KEVIN SPACEY WINS PARTIAL DISMISSAL OF ACCUSER ANTHONY RAPP’S CLAIMS IN SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL
Rapp initially made the accusations against Spacey in a Buzzfeed interview five years ago, to which Spacey issued a statement saying he didn’t remember the encounter, but also apologized for the incident.
When Rapp, a star on Broadway, filed the lawsuit against Spacey in 2017, the “American Beauty” actor denied the accusations.
Actor Kevin Spacey, center, leaves court, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, in New York. Spacey testified that he never made a sexual pass at the actor Anthony Rapp, who has sued, claiming the Academy Award-winning actor tried to take him to bed when he was 14.
(Yuki Iwamura)
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Spacey, 63, and Rapp, 50, both testified during the three-week trial. While on the stand, Rapp testified that Spacey invited him to a party at his apartment while they were both working on Broadway in the ’80s.
Rapp said Spacey, who was 26 at the time, was lured into a bedroom after guests left, and Spacey laid on top of him on a bed. Rapp then said he managed to get out from underneath Spacey and fled.
The “L.A. Confidential” star denied the altercation and said he would never be attracted to a teenager.
