A jury in Britain on Wednesday reportedly declared Kevin Spacey, the two-time Oscar winner famed for his film and television appearances including “House of Cards,” not guilty of nine charges of sexual assault.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London took little over 12 hours to reach a verdict, nearly six years after claims of inappropriate behavior against Mr. Spacey started to surface on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mr. Spacey, 64, stood in a clear box in the centre of the courtroom as the verdicts were read, looking emotionless and donning a dark blue suit.
However, the actor, whose birthday is on Wednesday, started to cry and exhaled loudly in relief as the verdict of not guilty was finally given out.
Four men testified in the almost month-long trial in London that Mr. Spacey had abused them between 2001 and 2013. The actor served as the Old Vic theater’s creative director for the majority of that time; it is a significant London theatre.
One complainant informed the British authorities that Mr. Spacey repeatedly touched him against his will.
The complainant said that sometime in 2004 or 2005, while on their way to Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball, the actor gripped his genitalia with such force that he nearly ran off the road.
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