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Kevin Spacey found not responsible in civil lawsuit

October 20, 2022

Kevin Spacey was found not liable in a civil sexual misconduct lawsuit on Thursday after more than an hour of jury deliberations in a New York federal courtroom. The lawsuit sought $40 million in damages.

“Mr. Spacey is grateful to live in a country where citizens have the right to be tried by impartial jurors who make their decision based on evidence, not rumors or social media,” Spacey said per the through his attorney Jennifer Keller in a statement to Fox News. Digital.

“He is deeply grateful to this particular jury. They were a highly educated group of six women and five men, all but one college graduate and most with advanced degrees. Their verdict was swift. and decisive. Justice was served today.”

Jurors returned the verdict shortly before 4 p.m. ET in the civil trial. The former ‘House of Cards’ actor has been charged with assault, battery and emotional distress following an incident against Anthony Rapp in 1986 when Rapp was 14.

“We are very grateful that this American jury saw through these false allegations,” Keller said shortly after the verdict was read. “Spacey is deeply grateful. The next step is for Mr. Spacey to prove himself innocent of everything he’s been accused of.”

KEVIN SPACEY WILL HAVE TO PAY $31 MILLION FROM MORE “HOUSE OF CARDS” DISMISSAL FOR ALLEGED SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, JUDGE UPHOLDS

Kevin Spacey has appeared in a New York court to face a civil lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp, who accused 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. “It was a very smart, very well-educated jury. They are very, very bright people.”

Richard Steigman, Rapp’s attorney, told Fox News Digital, “To me, Anthony spoke his truth in court. While we respect the verdict of the jury, nothing changes that.”

KEVIN SPACEY WINS PARTIAL DISMISSAL OF ACCUSER ANTHONY RAPP’S CLAIMS IN SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL

Rapp originally made the accusations against Spacey in a Buzzfeed interview five years ago, to which Spacey released a statement saying he did not recall the encounter, but also apologized for the incident.

Kevin Spacey has testified he never made a sexual pass to Anthony Rapp, who has filed a lawsuit claiming the Oscar-winning actor tried to take him to bed when he was 14 .
(Yuki Iwamura)

When Broadway star Rapp filed a lawsuit against Spacey in 2017, the “American Beauty” actor denied the charges.

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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 when they were both working on Broadway in the ’80s.

Rapp said Spacey, who was 26 at the time, lured him into a bedroom after the guests left and lay down on a bed. Rapp then stated that he managed to get out from under Spacey and fled.

Kevin Spacey still faces another trial in London next year for sexually assaulting multiple men in the UK. He pleaded not guilty in July.
(Alexi J. Rosenfeld)

The ‘LA Confidential’ star denied the altercation and said he would never be attracted to a teenager.

Spacey is still facing another trial in London for sexually assaulting multiple men in the UK. He pleaded not guilty in July and is expected to stand trial next year.

In August, Spacey was ordered by a judge to pay $31 million to the producers of “House of Cards” after he was fired in 2018 following alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes of the political drama. Spacey, who starred on the Netflix show from 2013 to 2017, was accused of attacking several young men, including a production assistant, prompting an investigation by production company MRC and the permanent termination of Spacey of his role in addition to any production contract. .

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Marta Dhanis is a New York-based journalist and field producer who focuses on criminal justice and the courts. Follow her on Twitter: @MartaDhanis