A federal jury in Kevin Spacey’s sexual abuse trial has found the Oscar-winning actor not responsible for the battery against ‘Star Trek: Discovery star’ Anthony Rapp.
A jury of five men and six women deliberated for just under 90 minutes on Thursday afternoon. Rapp looked stoic as the verdict was read, and his lawyers looked dejected when they left the courthouse in downtown Manhattan.
After the verdict was announced, Spacey bowed and stood up to hug the lawyer.
Spacey’s attorney, Jennifer Keller, said outside the courthouse, “I am very grateful to the jury for seeing through these false allegations. Surrounded by bodyguards, Spacey jumped into a black SUV and drove away. I didn’t say anything outside before.
In a statement posted on Twitter“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to hear my case before a jury,” Rapp said.
“Bringing this lawsuit has always been a shining light as part of a larger movement against all forms of sexual violence,” Rapp said, adding that he hoped “a world free of all forms of sexual violence.” I vowed to keep advocating.”
Rapp attorney Richard Steigman, who gave closing arguments on Thursday, said in a statement:
In the early days of the #MeToo movement, Rupp was one of the most prominent people to level sexual misconduct allegations against Spacey, derailing his acclaimed career on screen and stage.
rap suspect In 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26, Spacey climbed on top of him at a party in New York City.Rapp is best known for his role in the musical Rent. “Most traumatic single event” of his life.
Spacey flatly denied Rapp’s allegations, saying under oath, “They are not true.”His attorney claimed that Rapp largely ‘created the story’ because he was jealous On our client’s success in the entertainment industry.
In closing arguments early Thursday, the actor’s lawyers presented a dramatically different version of what happened.
Steigman suggested Spacey perform for the jury on the witness stand, claiming his client remained traumatized by an incident he allegedly encountered decades later.
Keller dismissed Rapp’s allegations as false, claiming that the young actor was simply jealous of his client’s professional success.
emotional testimony
The two testified in tears on the witness stand.
wrap held back tears He spoke with an anguished look as he recalled details of the alleged encounter, which he described as “incredibly terrifying and deeply disturbing.” He testified: wanted to publish With his claims in the fall of 2017.
“I didn’t ask him to do that,” he told jurors, referring to Spacey’s alleged sexual advances.
Spacey, for his part, repeatedly broke down crying during his testimony. In a quivering voice, he told jurors about his “humiliating and horrifying” upbringing as the son of a man he described as a “white supremacist and neo-Nazi.”
“I have never spoken publicly about these things,” he said.
Rapp filed a lawsuit against Spacey in 2020 based on three allegations of assault, battery and intentional emotional distress.
Judge Louis A. Kaplan dismissed the assault allegation before the trial began, saying it was not covered under New York’s Child Victims Act of 2019.
Kaplan threw out the emotional distress rap allegations on the sixth day of trial, partly stating that he would “repeated and reassert” Battery’s allegations.
Rupp, who claimed to have shared experiences with friends over the years, was the first to publicly detail his claims. Article published by BuzzFeed News October 29, 2017.
Spacey’s reaction to the allegations
in a statement on Twitter The next day, Spacey said he didn’t remember the incident, but apologized to Rupp for “what would have been very inappropriate drunken behavior”. I have chosen to live as a gay man,” he wrote.
In his testimony, Spacey said he regretted the remark, explaining that he now believes he should not have apologized for claiming he didn’t.
“I’ve learned my lesson. Never apologize for something you didn’t do,” Spacey told the jury. “I regret my whole statement.”
His public relations team urged him to take the allegations “seriously,” as they were concerned about permanent damage to his career and reputation. But I chose to take it instead of the fact.
“I couldn’t believe this happened,” said Spacey emphatically.
Spacey also lamented using the statement as an opportunity to come out to the general public.
“I would never do anything to hurt the gay community,” he said, with tears in his eyes. He explained that he was criticized for seeming to confuse his own sexual orientation with the allegations.
event duel account
Rupp and Spacey agreed to meet each other in April 1986 when they were appearing in a Broadway show. Rupp performed with Ed Harris in “Precious Sons” and Spacey performed with Jack Lemmon in the production of “Long Day’s Journey into Night.”
The two reunited one day that May at a casual get-together in Lemon’s dressing room. Spacey testified that she was attracted to Barrowman, who was 19 at the time.
“I was fascinated by John Barrowman,” said Spacey.
Spacey testified that he invited Rupp and Barrowman to his apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side after the club to introduce him to the dog and show him the views from his place. He said he and Barrowman spent a brief “frivolous and playful moment” in the bed, which was cut short due to being bloated.
Rupp claimed that Spacey invited him to a party at his apartment after that night. Rupp testified that he didn’t recognize anyone at the party, so he went to his bedroom to watch TV.
He testified that at one point an apparently intoxicated Spacey entered his bedroom, picked him up and put him on the bed, putting his full weight on top of him.
Spacey forcefully pushed back on his account of the events, stating in his testimony that he never invited Rupp to a party and that he would speak to him again after a night out with Barrowman, who is best known in the UK for his role on the show. He didn’t even say Doctor Who. “
Spacey’s lawyers provided evidence to back up their client’s denials, including documents showing that the suspect was living in a studio apartment with no bedrooms at the time of the incident.
Jennifer Keller, one of Spacey’s attorneys, told the jury that Rupp was bitter about not only Spacey’s Hollywood success, but also being the “third wheel” of the night with Barrowman. I tried to convince the staff. Rapp rejected the offer.
Rapp, 50, is a series regular on the Paramount+ series ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ and has appeared in films such as ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘A Beautiful Mind’. Spacey, 63, won an Oscar for her performances in ‘The Usual Suspects’ and ‘American Beauty’ and won a Tony Award for her play ‘Lost in Yonkers’.
Spacey, who played the fictional president in the Netflix drama House of Cards, was fired from the show in 2017 after a spate of sexual misconduct allegations, ending his high-profile career in Hollywood. It came to a sudden stop.
Other legal issues
Spacey’s legal troubles aren’t limited to New York.
In the UK he has been charged with: Sexually assaulted three men Over ten years ago. he pleaded not guilty At a hearing at the Central Criminal Court in London in July. He is scheduled to stand trial in the UK starting June 6, according to the Associated Press.
Spacey’s civil trial judge, Kaplan, did not allow Rapp’s attorney to speak about the UK case. I took the opportunity to ask Andy Holtzman, a former employee of The Public Theater of
Spacey denies the allegations.
Separately, according to court documents, a Los Angeles judge ruled in August that Spacey and his company must pay the producers behind “House of Cards” about $31 million. I put it down.