Silke Jasso
Kevin Spacey was officially found not liable for battery on allegations from actor Anthony Rapp. Rapp had alleged Spacey laid on top of him in a bar after a party back in 1986. Jurors had deliberated for an hour, concluding that Rapp did not provide enough evidence to prove Spacey had “touched a sexual or intimate part.” Jude Lewis Kaplan went on to formally dismiss the case.
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Rapp had initially alleged that back in 1986, Spacey, who was 26 at the time, invited Rapp, then 14, to his home in Manhattan where he picked him up. There he laid him down on a bed, grabbed his butt, and then press his groin towards his body without any consent.
Rapp went on to say that he was able to wiggle away from Spacey. Once liberated, Spacey asked if he was sure he wanted to leave. During his testimony, Spacey went on to tell the jury that the incident never happened. He also noted he wouldn’t be attracted to someone who was just 14-years-old. The lawsuit sought a total of $40 million in damages.
Kevin Spacey Found Not Liable In Sexual Assault Lawsuit From Anthony Rapp
The judge had dismissed Rapp’s claim of assault even before the trial started. They dismissed the claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress. This after Rapp’s attorneys rested the actor’s case, which left the jury to decide on the battery claim. Under New York law, battery is considered touching another person without their consent in a way that someone would find offensive.
According to CNN legal analyst Park Callan, the win was a “Pyrrhic victory” for Spacey while he awaits other charges that “ hang him including criminal charges in the UK.” “Spacey has now notched two victories in sex abuse charges against him including this case and the one previously dropped in Nantucket,” Callans stated. “He, however, faces an uphill battle facing other accusations and more serious criminal charges in the UK.”
Spacey was officially charged with four counts of sexual assault against three other men. As well as one count of causing the person to engage and penetrative sexual activity without any consent. This was charged by the British Crown Prosecution Service back in May. The actor went on to plead not guilty to all the charges.
In the Nantucket case, a John Doe Had alleged that Spacey groped him when he was 18-years-old working as a busboy at a restaurant. The actor plead not guilty to the charges, and prosecutors eventually dropped the criminal case after the accuser pleaded the fifth on the witness stand. This while he was being questioned about his cell phone and deleted text messages.
