Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty in his trial for sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court.
The 64-year-old - celebrating his birthday today - had been accused of assaulting four men between 2001 and 2013, all charges which he denied.
Over the course of the trial earlier this month, the court heard from each of the four accusers, with one alleging that Spacey had forcibly grabbed his crotch "like a cobra".
The jurors spent around 12 and a half hours deliberating the evidence and returned a verdict of not guilty on all nine charges today, reportedly prompting Spacey to start crying in relief.
Allegations against Spacey - a former creative director at The Old Vic theatre in London - first surfaced in 2017, after which he came out as gay but denied ever having committed a criminal act against someone.
The verdict in London today vindicates Spacey for a second time, after a civil trial in New York late last year found in his favour over an allegation that he had made advances towards a then-14-year-old in 1986.
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service, which brought the charges against him, said: "The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges.
"It is the role of the jury to consider the charges and we respect the decision of the court."
Speaking to the media outside court, Spacey said: "I imagine that you can understand that there's a lot for me to process after what has just happened today. But I would like to say I'm enormously grateful for the jury to have taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they made their decision. I am humbled."
He went on to thank his legal team and the staff working at the court, adding: "That's all I have to say today." body check tags ::
Follow us on X/Twitter and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.
Media Mole Low-Price Offer: Get Sky Entertainment, Sky Stream & Netflix for just £19 a month + £0 upfront fee for 18 months!
Prices may change during this period. Ends 23rd May 2024
