Kevin Spacey found not guilty of charges after lengthy trial

Actor Kevin Spacey, who had been facing a total of nine se*ual assault charges made by four men, was found not guilty on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, by the jury of all nine charges in a UK trial.

The charges included seven counts of se*ual assaults, one count of making an individual engage in se*ual acts without consent, and one count of "causing a person to engage in penetrative se*ual activity."

The jury of twelve members, entailing three women and nine men, deliberated for a total of 12 hours in the UK court on Wednesday before giving their final verdict for Spacey.

The Academy Award-winning actor, who just turned 64 on the day of the verdict, became teary-eyed after he was acquitted by the jury members and went on to emotionally express his gratitude to them.

As per CBS News, after the trial was over, Kevin Spacey gave a brief statement to reporters outside the court, where he said:

"I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision, and I am humbled by the outcome today,"

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The hearing in the UK court lasted around four weeks

Reportedly, the four accusers, whose names cannot be disclosed due to British law, brought charges against Kevin Spacey that were associated with offensive activities that took place between 2001 and 2013. During that period, Spacey held the position of artistic director of the Old Vic Theater in London.

The hearing in the UK court went on for approximately four weeks, with the actor being present throughout the entire trial at the court. All four accusers gave testimony against Spacey. John Elton was also present at the trial and gave evidence that supported Spacey.

During the trial, the prosecutor claimed that the actor had "aggressively" taken three men by their private body parts and performed a se*ual activity on another man when he was passed out or sleeping in his flat. According to the prosecutors, Spacy had left all four accusers feeling "small, diminished, and worthless."

The UK trial took place after a New York jury found the actor not guilty last year of molestation conducted on actor Anthony Rapp back in 1986. During the trial in the UK, Kevin Spacey claimed his acts toward one of the accusers were "romantic." He also claimed that the two began to develop a consensual relationship.

He further said that the two "enjoyed each other's company." He admitted that they were involved in consensual se*ual activities. However, he denied any kind of forceful act against the man.

Spacey said, "It did not happen in a violent, aggressive, or painful way. It was gentle and, in my mind, romantic." In the UK trial, the defense lawyer went on to argue that it was "not a crime to like se*, even if you're famous... and it's not a crime to have casual se*."

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Spacey, whose life and career turned upside-down when the serious accusations began to come to the surface against him, said in a recent interview with Zeit Magazin that he was extremely determined to get his life and career back, which he lost due to the foul and false claims made against him.

"In 10 years, it won't mean anything. My work will live longer than I will and that's what will be remembered," Kevin Spacey said.

Without a shred of doubt, it was one of the most high-profile assault cases in Hollywood, where the accused came out as not guilty.