Kevin Spacey's Fate in Sexual Assault Lawsuit Revealed

By Ashley Turner

Kevin Spacey was cleared of sexual abuse claims after a three-week civil trial. A jury found Spacey not liable for damages in Anthony Rapp's $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit today, reported The New York Times. Rapp's lawyer Richard Steigman later told a crowd outside the Manhattan courthouse, "The jury spoke. Anthony told his truth. We respect the jury's verdict, but it doesn't change his truth." This week, Rapp testified Spacey picked him up when he was 14 "like a groom picks up a bride," placed him on a bed in his apartment, and then climbed on top of him to initiate a sexual encounter. He said, "I was confused. I was thinking I didn't know what was happening," according to Daily Mail. As a result of the incident, Rapp said that he often felt 'frozen' and had "disturbing, intrusive thoughts" about it. When asked by one of his lawyers if he was making up the story, Rapp replied, "This is something that happened to me. It was not OK."

After learning about the allegations in the 2017 Buzzfeed article featuring Rapp, Spacey testified he was "shocked and frightened." According to Daily Mail, Spacey stated he had "never been alone" with Rapp and he "didn't know how that (the allegation) could be possibly true." He tearfully added, "I was never interested in children," saying his team of advisers and publicists "knew this wasn't me." Spacey rebuffed Rapp's accusation in the Buzzfeed article that he was a fraud for not coming out. For the first time, he revealed that his father was a "Neo Nazi" who taught him not to disclose his private life to anyone. The actor said," I was accused by the gay community of trying to change the subject or trying to deflect or conflating allegations with being gay which was never my intention." 

He continued, "I would never have done anything to hurt the gay community, and I was so upset that happened. I have to own that. It's my responsibility, and I put it out there. It was really wrong, and it was really bad, and I'm deeply sorry," Spacey cried while bowing his head. He was one of several people who came under the spotlight of the #MeToo movement in 2017 due to allegations of sexual misconduct. The multiple House of Cards Emmy nominee is also liable to Media Rights Capital for $31 million because the claims hastened the show's end and breached his contract. Spacey was also accused of groping an 18-year-old in 2016 at a bar in Massachusetts, but the case was dismissed after the accuser refused to testify about a missing cellphone. Despite the jury's verdict, Spacey still faces another trial in the UK in June. Spacey pleaded not guilty to five allegations of sexual assault against three men between 2005 and 2013 when he served as Old Vic Theatre's creative director.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of