Kevin Spacey has defeated a sexual assault case against him after a New York court dismissed the lawsuit.
Anthony Rapp, 50, filed the lawsuit against Spacey, claiming the actor had inappropriately touched him at a party in 1986 when he was just 14 years old.
The plaintiff, who is also an actor, took legal action against the Oscar winner in September 2020, seeking around $40 million in damages.
Spacey, known for his roles in the thriller The Usual Suspects and the drama American Beauty, has denied the allegations.
On Thursday, after a three-week civil trial, a Manhattan court jury found that Rapp had not proven his claims against the actor and there was no evidence that he had made unwelcome sexual advances.
The verdict came after more than an hour of deliberations. Spacey hugged his attorneys after the judge read the decision.
However, the actor faces five separate sexual assault counts in the UK. The trial is due to start in June of next year, but he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Rapp said that Spacey was around 26-27 when they met at a party at his Manhattan apartment. In 2017, the plaintiff wrote an article on Buzzfeed, claiming that the actor had picked him up and placed him on a bed before partially lying down on him.
“I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually,” he added.
However, taking the stand in his own defense during the trial, the 63-year-old actor said he did not know how Rapp’s statements could be true, stating that he would not have been sexually interested in him because he was underage.
Richard Steigman, Rapp’s attorney, said there were gaps in the Hollywood star’s memory, claiming he experienced changes in his memories.
In contrast, Spacey’s attorney Jennifer Keller referred to Rapp’s story as a “fabric,” asserting that the plaintiff had received more attention for the trial than for his acting career.
Spacey’s professional life has been marred by multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
Netflix fired him from its political drama series House of Cards and he was replaced on All the Money in the World.
