Kevin Spacey found not liable in sex abuse suit brought by Anthony Rapp

The federal jury in Kevin Spacey’s sexual abuse trial found that the Oscar-winning actor is not liable for battery against “Star Trek: Discovery star” Anthony Rapp.

The jury of five men and six women deliberated for just under 90 minutes Thursday afternoon. Rapp appeared stoic as the verdict was read, and his lawyers seemed dejected as they left the courthouse in downtown Manhattan.

Spacey dropped his head after the verdict was announced and then stood up to hug his lawyers.

“I’m very grateful to the jury for seeing through these false allegations,” Spacey’s attorney Jennifer Keller said outside the courthouse. Spacey, flanked by bodyguards, did not say anything outside before hopping into a black SUV and driving off.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Rapp said he was “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 sexual violence,” Rapp said, vowing to continue to advocate for “a world that is free from sexual violence of any kind.”

Richard Steigman, the attorney for Rapp who delivered closing arguments Thursday, said in a statement: “Anthony told his truth in court. While we respect the jury’s verdict, nothing changes that.”

In the early days of the #MeToo movement, Rapp was one of the most prominent people to level sexual misconduct allegations against Spacey, derailing his lauded career on screen and stage.

Rapp alleged that Spacey climbed on top of him at a party in New York City in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. Rapp, best known for his role in the musical “Rent,” testified that the alleged encounter was “the most traumatic single event” of his life.

Spacey flatly denied Rapp’s allegations, saying under oath that “they are not true.” His lawyers argued that Rapp “created a story” in large part because he was jealous of their client’s success in the entertainment industry.

In closing arguments earlier on Thursday, lawyers for the actors presented dramatically divergent versions of events.

Steigman suggested that Spacey put on a performance for the jury on the witness stand and insisted that, decades later, his client remains traumatized because of the alleged encounter.

Keller dismissed Rapp’s claims as falsehoods and argued that the younger actor was simply jealous of her client’s professional success.

Emotional testimonies

The two men delivered tearful testimonies on the witness stand.

Rapp fought back tears and spoke with a pained expression as he recalled the details of the alleged encounter he described as “incredibly frightening and very alarming.” He testified that he felt inspired to go public with his claims in the fall of 2017.

“I didn’t ask for him to do that,” he told jurors, referring to Spacey’s alleged sexual advance. “I didn’t want him to do that.”

Spacey, for his part, repeatedly broke down crying during his testimony. In a quavering voice, he told jurors about his “humiliating and terrifying” upbringing as the son of a man he described as a “white supremacist and neo-Nazi.”

“I have never talked about these things publicly, ever,” he said.

Rapp filed a lawsuit against Spacey in 2020 based on three claims: assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan dismissed the assault claim before the trial started, saying it was not covered by the New York’s Child Victims Act of 2019, which temporarily allowed people to make claims that would have normally been blocked by the statute of limitations.

Kaplan tossed out Rapp’s claim of emotional distress on the sixth day of the trial, saying in part that it “repeats and re-alleges” the allegation of battery. 

Rapp, who claimed he shared his experience with friends over the years, first publicly detailed his allegations in an article published by BuzzFeed News on Oct. 29, 2017.

Spacey’s response to allegations

In a statement on Twitter the next day, Spacey said he did not recall the alleged incident but apologized to Rapp for “what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” He then came out, writing in part: “I choose now to live as a gay man.”

In his testimony, Spacey said he regretted that statement, explaining that he now believes he should not have apologized for something he insists he did not do.

“I’ve learned a lesson: Never apologize for something you didn’t do,” Spacey told the jurors. “I regret my entire statement.”

He said his publicity team encouraged him to take the allegations “seriously” because they were concerned about permanent damage to his career and…