A New York court has dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against the actor Kevin Spacey.
The case was brought by Anthony Rapp, who says the actor inappropriately touched him at a party in 1986 when he was aged 14.
Mr Rapp, now 50 and also an actor, filed the legal action in September 2020 and had been seeking around $40m (£36m) in damages.
Mr Spacey, an Oscar winner, has denied the accusations against him.
He is separately facing five charges in the UK of sexual assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty. That trial is due to begin in June 2023.
On Thursday, following a three-week civil trial in a Manhattan federal court, a jury found that Mr Rapp had not proved his claim that Mr Spacey had made an unwanted sexual advance.
Deliberations lasted for more than an hour and, after the verdict was read out by the judge, Mr Spacey reportedly hugged his lawyers before leaving the courtroom.
Mr Rapp says that Mr Spacey was around 26 or 27 years old when he met him at a party at his Manhattan apartment.
In a Buzzfeed article from October 2017, Mr Rapp said that Mr Spacey had picked him up, placed him on a bed and lain down partially on top of him. "I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually," he wrote.
Taking the stand in his own defence in the third week of his trial, Mr Spacey said he had been shocked when Mr Rapp went public with his allegations five years ago.
"I didn't know how this could possibly be true," the 63-year-old said, adding he would not have been sexually interested in Mr Rapp as he was underage.
Court sketch, 20 Oct 22
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS
Image caption,
A sketch in court shows Mr Spacey (R) and Mr Rapp's lawyer Richard Steigman (C)
Mr Rapp's lawyer Richard Steigman argued there were gaps in Mr Spacey's memory and changes in his recollection.
Mr Spacey's lawyer Jennifer Keller countered that Mr Rapp's story was a fabrication, and she said he was "getting more attention in this trial than he has in his entire acting life".
Career derailed
Multiple allegations of sexual misconduct derailed the Hollywood star's stage career. Netflix dropped him from its political drama series House of Cards and Christopher Plummer replaced him in the role of J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World.
In August, a judge ruled that Mr Spacey must pay $31m to the producers of House of Cards for the costs they incurred after firing him from the show.
Mr Spacey won Oscars for his performances in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects.
In July, he entered a not guilty plea in London to criminal charges of sexually assaulting three men over a decade ago.
During the New York trial he was asked about a suggestion by Mr Rapp that he was a "fraud" for not coming out as gay sooner. Mr Spacey said he had always been private about his personal life, including his childhood, because his father had held racist and homophobic views.
A New York court has dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against the actor Kevin Spacey.
The case was brought by Anthony Rapp, who says the actor inappropriately touched him at a party in 1986 when he was aged 14. Spacey was in his mid-20s at the time of the alleged incident, which Rapp said took place at a party in Spacey's Manhattan apartment.
Rapp, now 50 and also an actor, filed the legal action in September 2020 and had been seeking around USD$40m in damages.
Spacey denied the accusations against him.
Following a three-week civil trial in a Manhattan federal court, a jury - deliberating for just over an hour - found that Rapp had not proved his claim that Spacey had made an unwanted sexual advance.
Multiple allegations of sexual misconduct have dogged Spacey since Rapp first went public with his allegations.
Spacey is still separately facing five charges in the UK of sexual assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty. That trial is due to begin in June 2023.
Who is Kevin Spacey?
Early Life
Born in 1959, Spacey grew up in California. He began acting while at school, and went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York City.
Career
Beginning his career in the theatre, Spacey’s reputation and profile built gradually, opening up opportunities for him in film. It was his role in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects that confirmed him as a major star – landing him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He collected the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1999 film American Beauty.
In 2003, Spacey was appointed as Artistic Director of the Old Vic theatre in London. He starred in a number of productions during his time with the Old Vic, consolidating his credentials as an accomplished actor in both theatre and film.
In 2011, Spacey was cast in the lead role in the Netflix adaptation of House of Cards. His performance was critically acclaimed, and he won a number of awards.
The subsequent controversy following the sexual assault allegations led to Spacey being axed from a number of roles, including from his starring role in the series House of Cards, and the 2017 film All the Money in the World, which was re-shot without him.
Personal life
Despite widespread speculation, Spacey avoided any discussion of his sexuality until 2017. In response to the allegations made by Anthony Rapp, Spacey confirmed that he identified as a gay man.
Printable Version
RSS Feed: 
Reader's Comments
https://76crimes.com/2022/10/20/latest-trans-murder-in-bangladesh-is-part-of-a-worldwide-problem/
Please log in to use this feature.