A jury found Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey not guilty Monday in his criminal sexual assault trial in London surrounding allegations that he assaulted four men.
The verdict was reached after jurors began deliberating Monday after nearly four weeks of testimony.
Spacey, 64, pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Four men testified about similar encounters that involved Spacey allegedly groping them.
The acts alleged between 2001 and 2013 ranged from unwanted touching to aggressive crotch-grabbing and, in one instance, performing oral sex on an unconscious man.
SPACEY GOT AWAY WITH SEXUAL ASSAULTS BECAUSE OF HIS CELEBRITY STATUS, PROSECUTOR ARGUES
Actor Kevin Spacey arrives outside Southwark Crown Court in London, on Monday, July 24. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
In closing arguments, prosecutors had argued Spacey got away with his behavior because of his celebrity status.
Spacey allegedly seized brief moments for an “opportunity grab” and was able to get away with the assaults for years because he was a celebrity who took advantage of his power, prosecutor Christine Agnew said.
Agnew emphasized that the four men’s accounts were similar not because they had conspired to bring Spacey down, but because groping was reportedly Spacey’s “trademark” move, according to the prosecution.
Spacey’s defense lawyer said during closing arguments Friday that three of the men are liars, and he suggested jurors not convict him for making a “clumsy pass” at a fourth man.
Spacey testified himself over a span of two days, during which he denied violently groping one of his accusers and instead painted a picture of their “intimate” and “somewhat sexual” relationship for the jury. “I never thought that (the man) I knew would … 20 years later stab me in the back,” he said.
KEVIN SPACEY DENIES CLAIMS THAT GROPING IS HIS ‘TRADEMARK’ PICKUP MOVE
Spacey had pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including multiple counts of sexual and indecent assault. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Spacey’s description of gentle stroking was in direct contradiction to what the alleged victims testified. They said he caught them by surprise when he aggressively grabbed their privates through their clothing.
Elton John also testified remotely in Spacey’s defense at one point during the trial, confirming the “American Beauty” star only attended one of the musician’s annual gala parties in 2001. One of Spacey’s alleged victims claimed the actor assaulted him while the two were driving to John’s White Tie & Tiara Ball in 2004 or 2005.
Spacey first faced allegations of sexual misconduct when actor Anthony Rapp came forward in 2017. Rapp accused Spacey of assaulting him at a party in the 1980s. Spacey was found not liable in Rapp’s civil lawsuit.
Actor Kevin Spacey and singer Sir Elton John at the White Tie and Tiara Ball held at Sir Elton John’s Windsor mansion in England on July 5, 2001. Elton John testified remotely in Spacey’s defense during the trial. (John Rogers/Getty Images)
Following Rapp’s claim, more men came forward with accusations against Spacey, and he was booted from the Netflix show “House of Cards.”
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Spacey recently returned to the screen with roles in Italian director Franco Nero’s “The Man Who Drew God,” the biopic “Once Upon a Time in Croatia,” and the film “Peter Five Eight.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
