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A Manhattan jury found actor Kevin Spacey not guilty of se*ually touching actor Anthony Rapp nearly four decades ago. The decision was made by the jury after less than two hours of deliberation, ending the two-week trial.
Rapp accused Spacey in 2020 of molesting him when he was 14 years old and just starting his career on Broadway and sought $40 million in damages. In the indictment, Rapp states 'that in 1986, after a party at his home, the then 26-year-old Spacey aggressively tried to lay him down on the bed and touched his private parts.
The jury did not know that more than 20 men had accused Spacey of se*ual misconduct or that he was facing legal action in the United Kingdom. The affair was revealed in late October 2017 when the #metoo movement began, primarily Hollywood stars speaking out about se*ual violence, followed by other allegations of se*ual assault against Spacey, resulting in him losing engagements in the film industry.
Mr Spacey said he had been shocked
"I didn't know how this could possibly be true," the 63-year-old said, adding he would not have been se*ually interested in Mr Rapp as he was underage." “We’re very grateful to the jury for seeing through these false allegations,” said Spacey's attorney, Jennifer Keller.
“What’s next is Mr. Spacey is going to be proven that he’s innocent of anything he’s been accused of. That there was no truth to any of the allegations,” she added
In a statement posted on Twitter, Rapp said:
"deeply grateful for the opportunity to have my case heard before a jury, and I thank the members of the jury for their service." "Bringing this lawsuit was always about shining a light, as part of the larger movement to stand up against all forms of se*ual violence," Rapp said, vowing to continue to advocate for "a world that is free from se*ual violence of any kind." The star of Netflix's political TV hit "House of Cards" is to face further charges of se*ual harassment in London.
Anthony Rapp, who today stars in the series "Star Trek: Discovery", as well as Kevin Spacey (63) followed the entire process in the courtroom from October 6 and both remain with their version of events.