Kevin Spacey has had the sexual abuse case brought against him by actor Anthony Rapp dismissed.
Rapp alleged that the House of Cards star climbed on top of him and made a sexual advance in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26.
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He first made the claims in October 2017, with Spacey’s career suffering as a result after he was quickly removed from the sixth season of the Netflix political drama, House of Cards.
Following Rapp’s claims, numerous other sexual misconduct accusations against Spacey surfaced.
He is facing five different charges in the UK of sexual assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty. That trial is due to begin in June 2023, per the BBC.
After Rapp made his claims, Spacey came out as gay when apologizing in a statement, although he said that he did not remember the alleged incident.
The Oscar-winning actor faced heavy criticism for coming out at the same time as addressing the allegations.
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Kevin Spacey was in tears after the verdict was read
A tearful Spacey reportedly hugged his lawyers after a jury concluded earlier this week that Rapp could not prove his claims against the actor, resulting in the case being dismissed.
Spacey silently left the courthouse but his lawyer, Jennifer Keller, told reports, “We’re just grateful that the jury saw the truth.”
“What’s next is Mr. Spacey is going to be proving that he’s innocent of anything he’s been accused of,” Keller added, per The New York Times.
During closing arguments, Keller argued on behalf of her famous client that Rapp’s story was a fabrication.
She claimed Rapp’s motive for accusing Spacey of sexual abuse was for attention or jealousy of Spacey’s successful career.
“Mr. Rapp is getting more attention in this trial than he has in his entire acting life,” Keller said, according to Reuters.
On the other hand, Rapp’s lawyers argued that Spacey’s recollection of the event was inconsistent and should not be believed.
Keller questioned Rapp’s recollection of the alleged encounter 36 years ago, asking why he claimed the sexual abuse happened in Spacey’s bedroom when he lived in a studio at the time.
Anthony Rapp releases a statement after verdict
Rapp reacted to the jury verdict with a statement on social media, writing that he was “deeply grateful” that he had a chance to tell his story.
“Bringing this lawsuit was always about shining a light, as part of the large movement to stand up against all forms of sexual violence,” he wrote.
He also said he will continue to advocate to end sexual violence so survivors can tell their stories.
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