Kevin Spacey found not liable in civil sex abuse trial
Actor Kevin Spacey was found not liable Thursday in a civil sexual abuse trial brought by fellow actor Anthony Rapp.
The lawsuit has been dismissed.
The accusations stemmed from an incident in 1986 when Rapp alleged Spacey climbed on top of him at a party when he was just 14 years old and Spacey was 26.
An emotional Spacey told jurors in court testimony Monday that the allegations were "not true."
Rapp sued Spacey for $40 million over the alleged encounter, in which he claimed the actor picked him up, grabbed his buttocks and laid down on top of him at Spacey's Manhattan home.
Rapp's allegations were the first of several against Spacey, who was fired from the Netflix hit "House of Cards" amid a swirl of allegations about sexual impropriety, but the trial marked the first time Spacey defended himself in front of a jury.
Spacey testified that he was "shocked," "frightened" and "confused" by the allegations, which were first made public by Rapp, a regular on TV's "Star Trek: Discovery," in a Buzzfeed article in 2017.
"I knew I had never been alone with Anthony Rapp," he told the jurors, according to The Associated Press.
Spacey left the Manhattan courthouse without addressing the media Thursday afternoon.
"We're very grateful that the jury could see through these false allegations," Spacey's attorney, Jennifer Keller, told reporters. "Mr. Spacey is deeply grateful for the jury system, and for this jury in particular."
In a statement posted to Twitter, Rapp said he was "grateful" for the chance to have his case heard before a jury.
"Bringing this lawsuit was always about shining a light, as part of the larger movement to stand up against all forms of sexual violence," he said. "I sincerely hope that survivors continue to tell their stories and fight for accountability."
