Kevin Spacey will not be held liable in his civil sexual misconduct lawsuit brought by Anthony Rapp. According to reports, a New York City jury concluded on Tuesday (October 18) that the Baby Driver star did not molest Rapp when Rapp was 14, while both actors were unknown Broadway stars in the 1980s.
After a one-hour deliberation, jurors concluded that Rapp did not prove that Spacey “touched a sexual or intimate part” of him, after he accused Spacey of laying on top of him in a bed after a party in 1986. Judge Lewis Kaplan formally dismissed the case after refuting Rapp’s claim of assault before the trial started. Kaplan also dismissed Rapp’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress brought on by Spacey.
One of House of Cards actor’s attorney’s, Jennifer Keller spoke briefly about the jury’s decision while leaving court. “We are very grateful to the jury for seeing through these false allegations,” she shared. Both Rapp and Spacey each testified over several days at the three-week trial over the lawsuit in which Rapp sought $40 million in damages.
His lawyer, Richard Steigman, stated that jurors should conclude that Spacey lied to them when he insisted that the encounter could not have happened. “[Spacey] lacks credibility,” Steigman shared. “Sometimes the simple truth is the best. The simple truth is that this happened.”
Despite the win, this isn’t the end of Spacey’s legal battles. CNN Legal Analyst Paul Callan said, “Spacey has now notched two victories in sex abuse charges against him including this case and the one previously dropped in Nantucket.” He added, “He, however, faces an uphill battle facing other accusers and more serious criminal charges in UK.”
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