Renowned Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has been acquitted of nine alleged sex offenses against men in Britain, following his previous clearance in a US case. The actor, known for his roles in “American Beauty” and “House of Cards,” was found not guilty by a majority verdict after a lengthy trial in London.
This victory comes less than a year after a $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit against him was dismissed in New York, and after indecent and sexual assault charges were dropped in Massachusetts in 2019.
The charges against Spacey in the UK included seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The alleged incidents occurred in 2005, 2008 in London, and 2013 in Gloucestershire, England.
The trial lasted several weeks, during which four alleged victims, whose identities cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, testified. Notably, British rock star Elton John also testified as a witness for Spacey.
The prosecution portrayed Spacey as a “sexual bully” who enjoyed making others uncomfortable, including aggressively grabbing men’s crotches. One victim claimed to have woken up to find Spacey performing a sexual act on him, suggesting that he may have been drugged.
Spacey vehemently denied the allegations, referring to them as “madness” and a “stab in the back.” Throughout the legal proceedings, Spacey remained on unconditional bail since his initial appearance in a British court last year.
The actor’s career, which had been highly successful, suffered a blow in 2017 when he was embroiled in the #MeToo movement, facing accusations of sexual assault from multiple young men. As a result, he was dropped from the final season of “House of Cards” and other projects.
Following his acquittal in the UK, Spacey expressed gratitude to the jury for thoroughly examining the evidence and facts before reaching their decision.