A jury has found that Kevin Spacey did not molest Anthony Rapp, who had sued claiming the actor tried to sexually abuse him when he was 14.
Rapp, 50, and Spacey, 63, each gave evidence over several days at the three-week trial in New York. The lawsuit sought $40m in damages.
The jury of six men and six women deliberated for just under 90 minutes on Thursday afternoon. Rapp appeared stoic as the verdict was read by the court but his lawyers appeared dejected as they left the courthouse in downtown Manhattan.
Spacey could be seen hugging one of his lawyers when the verdict was read.
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.
