Actor Kevin Spacey Not Guilty In NY Sexual Assault Lawsuit

NEW YORK, NY — Actor and New Jersey native Kevin Spacey on Thursday was found not guilty of sexually assaulting fellow actor Anthony Rapp, who accused Spacey of laying on top of him in a bed in 1986, according to multiple reports.

A Manhattan jury deliberated for an hour and determined Rapp did not prove Spacey "touched a sexual or intimate part" of Rapp, CNN and The Associated Press reported. Following the decision, Judge Lewis Kaplan formally dismissed the case.

The verdict concludes a civil trial that was an outgrowth of the #MeToo movement. The lawsuit, based on 2017 claims by Rapp, sought $40 million in damages.

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The trial, which started Oct. 6, delved into Rapp's accusations that Spacey sexually assaulted him in a Manhattan apartment Rapp was 14 years old, according to court documents. The lawsuit contended that Spacey was accused of making an unwanted sexual advance and lifting Rapp onto a bed by the buttocks. Rapp also accused Spacey of pressing his groin into Rapp's body without his consent, CNN reported.

Rapp first told his story in 2017 and set off a chain reaction of accusations against Spacey, who lost prominent acting roles, including the lead on Netflix's "House of Cards." Rapp is a regular on TV's "Star Trek: Discovery" and was part of the original Broadway cast of "Rent."

On Monday, Spacey testified that he never made a sexual pass at Rapp.

Rapp testified earlier in the trial that he squirmed out from underneath Spacey in the fully clothed encounter before fleeing the apartment, only to have Spacey follow him to the door and ask if he was sure he wanted to leave.

"They are not true," Spacey said of the allegations.

Earlier Thursday, Rapp's lawyer Richard Steigman urged jurors to make Spacey pay for trying to make a sexual advance on Rapp. He then accused Spacey of lying on the witness stand.

Jennifer Keller, a lawyer for Spacey, told jurors that Rapp made up the encounter and said they should reject Rapp's claims.

In his closing, Steigman said jurors should conclude that Spacey lied to them when he insisted that the encounter could not have happened, partly because Rapp claimed it occurred in a one-bedroom apartment and Spacey lived in a studio.

"He lacks credibility," Steigman said. As for his client, the lawyer said he filed the lawsuit "to hold Kevin Spacey accountable."

The conclusion of his Manhattan trial, however, does not end Spacey's legal woes. Earlier this year, Spacey was charged with four counts of sexual assault in the United Kingdom following a year-long investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service.

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"The CPS has authorised criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men," Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said in a statement published by Variety.

Authorities say the incidents took place in London between March 2005 and August 2008, and one in western England in April 2013. The alleged victims are now in their 30s and 40s.

Spacey pleaded not guilty to the charges in July. Another pretrial hearing will be held in early 2023.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.