A New York jury has sided with actor Kevin Spacey in a $40 million civil lawsuit, finding that the Oscar winner did not molest Anthony Rapp when he was a teenager and is not liable for battery. After roughly 80 minutes of deliberation, jurors reached a unanimous decision that Rapp’s lawyers had failed to prove that Spacey “touched a sexual or intimate part” of Rapp.
Rapp looked impassive as Judge Lewis Kaplan formally dismissed the case, and Spacey dropped his head briefly. In a statement on social media, Rapp thanked the jury for hearing the case. “Bringing this lawsuit was always about shining a light, as part of the larger movement to stand up against all forms of sexual violence. I pledge to keep on advocating for efforts to ensure that we can live and work in a world that is free from sexual violence of any kind. I hope that survivors continue to tell their stories and fight for accountability,” he wrote.
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Even though Spacey scored a victory against Rapp, he still faces legal challenges. He has been ordered to pay MRC, the producer of House of Cards, $31 million in damages after the political thriller had its episode-order cut in the wake of abuse allegations against the star. Spacey also faces charges in the UK for sexually assaulting three men when he was living in London as the artistic director of the Old Vic theatre. He has pled not guilty.
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