Kevin Spacey was acquitted on all nine charges in his sexual assault trial in the United Kingdom.
In a courtroom on Wednesday, the 64-year-old actor reportedly wept after Justice Mark Wall told the Hollywood star that he was cleared of all charges and concluded that the “defendant may be discharged,” the Hollywood Reporter reported.
After exiting the courtroom, Spacey spoke to the press and thanked his legal team, the jury, and the court staff.
“I imagine that many of you can understand that there is a lot for me to process after what has happened today, but I would like to say that 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,” Spacey said, per People magazine.
“I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security and all those who took care of us every single day, my legal team, Evan Lowenstein and Lucy for being here every day,” he added.
Kevin Spacey spoke to press after being cleared of all sexual assault charges in the U.K. "I am 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 the decision." https://t.co/zmP0695pDp pic.twitter.com/LBRPvhilFP
— Variety (@Variety) July 26, 2023
Spacey previously pleaded not guilty to 9 counts stemming from allegations that he had sexually assaulted four men between 2004 and 2013 in London, Reuters noted. The allegations ranged from unwanted touching to aggressive fondling to, in one case, performing oral sex on an unconscious actor.
The “House of Cards” star originally faced 12 charges when the trial started in June, People Magazine noted. During the trial, an indecent assault charge was added. However, all four indecent assault charges were later dropped due to a “legal technicality.”
Spacey denied all allegations against him, labeling two of them consensual and another a “clumsy pass.”
“While I am disappointed with [the Crown Prosecution Service’s] decision to move forward, I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges, which I am confident will prove my innocence,” Spacey said on Good Morning America when the charges were announced.
Spacey was one of the most prominent figures accused of sexual misconduct during the start of the #MeToo era. In November 2017, he was fired from the Netflix series “House of Cards” following a string of sexual assault and misconduct allegations against him.
One such accusation came from “Star Trek: Discovery” star Anthony Rapp, who accused Spacey of making a sexual advance toward him at a party in 1986, when Rapp was 14. Spacey denies the allegations. Rapp brought a civil lawsuit against Spacey but lost the case in 2022 when the actor was found not liable for battery, People noted.
Related: Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty In UK Sexual Assault Case