Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty in his criminal sexual assault trial in London, involving allegations from four men. Jurors deliberated for three days after nearly four weeks of testimony. Spacey tearfully addressed the media outside the courthouse, expressing gratitude to the jury for carefully examining all the evidence before reaching their decision.
“I am humbled by the outcome today,” Spacey said. “I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security, Evan Lowenstein, and all those who took care of us every single day, my legal team…for being here every day.”
The allegations ranged from unwanted touching to aggressive crotch-grabbing and performing oral sex on an unconscious man between 2001 and 2013. Prosecutors argued that Spacey’s celebrity status allowed him to evade consequences, seizing brief moments for what they described as “opportunity grabs.”
Spacey’s defense countered that three of the men were lying, and they suggested jurors not convict him for making a “clumsy pass” at the fourth man. Spacey testified, denying violently groping one of his accusers and portraying their relationship as “intimate” and “somewhat sexual.”
Elton John testified remotely in Spacey’s defense, confirming that the actor attended only one of his annual gala parties in 2001. The allegations first surfaced in 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of assaulting him at a party in the 1980s, leading to more men coming forward with accusations and his removal from the show “House of Cards.”
