LAST UPDATE | 26 Jul 2023

OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men following a trial in England. 

Spacey, standing trial under his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler, was labelled a “sexual bully” when proceedings began last month.

The 63-year-old had denied nine charges including sexual assault, which are alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.

The actor wept as the verdicts were announced. The usher handed him a tissue after jurors announced the not guilty decisions to the courtroom.

The defendant, who’s birthday it is today, placed his hand on his chest, looked at the jury panel and mouthed “thank you” twice before they left the room.

After trial judge Mr Justice Wall said he was free to leave the dock, and after jurors had left the room, the actor embraced his legal team and wiped tears from his eyes.

Spacey thanked the jury at Southwark Crown Court for examining “all of the evidence” outside the court this afternoon.

Addressing the press gathered outside, Spacey said: “I imagine that many of you can understand that there’s a lot for me to process after what has just 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,” he added.

Spacey said outside the court: “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… for being here every day.

“And that’s all I have to say for the moment. Thank you very much.”

Following the not guilty verdicts in the Kevin Spacey trial, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said prosecutors “respect” the decision of the court.

In a statement, a CPS spokesman said: “Following a thorough investigation by the Metropolitan Police, the CPS made the decision to charge Kevin Spacey with sexual offences.

“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.”

Mr Justice Mark Wall sent jurors out to consider their verdicts on yesterday.

Over the course of the trial at Southwark Crown Court, each of Spacey’s four accusers have given evidence, variously describing him as a “vile sexual predator”, “slippery” and “atrocious, despicable, disgusting”.

Jurors have been told of alleged “aggressive” crotch grabs against three men, while a fourth complainant accused the defendant of having drugged him and performing a sex act on him while he was asleep at his flat.

Under questioning from Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, the men all denied either seeking financial gain, attempting to further their career or giving false accounts to the jury.

Spacey himself labelled the allegations against him as “madness” and a “stab in the back”, and told jurors he “did not have a power wand that I waved in front of people’s faces whenever I wanted someone to go to bed with me”.

The Hollywood star denies seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.