Kevin Spacey cleared of 9 sexual assault charges, but his coming out letter still haunts

Disgraced actor Kevin Spacey once played a middle-aged creep who lusts for his daughter’s underage friend in American Beauty. While he bagged an Oscar for it, Spacey went on to be seen in the same lens in 2017 when theatre actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making a sexual advance towards him in 1986 when Rapp was 14. This was followed by numerous other allegations from at least 30 men. 

An ill-timed justification by Spacey suggesting that he was a closeted homosexual all this time did little to support his case and Netflix kicked him off House of Cards with many of Spacey’s pending projects following suit. 

Now, over five years later, Spacey is cleared of all sexual assault charges in London. 

ALSO READ: Actor Kevin Spacey acquitted of sexual assault charges in New York. Here are the details

What went down at the court?

The 64-year-old American actor held steadfast to the claim that all the charges against him are “weak” and a “stab in the back”. 

It must be noted that Rapp’s case was already settled in a 2022 lawsuit and the 2023 trial in London was focused on the sexual crimes Spacey was accused of committing between 2004 and 2013 at a time when he was working at London's Old Vic theatre.

In the course of the four-week-trial, the prosecutors described Spacey as a "sexual bully" who violently touched three of the victims and performed oral sex on the fourth while he was unconscious in the actor's London apartment.

Spacey admitted that he might have surely made a “clumsy pass” at one of the men but he never sexually assaulted anyone. He added that the accusers are merely alleging him for the lawsuit money. 

Judi Dench, Val Kilmer and Elton John? Who came to Spacey’s defence?

To speak in Spacey’s support, several high-profile celebrities gave their testimonies. Top Gun star Val Kilmer and Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench (who has also been a vocal defender of #MeToo kickstarter Harvey Weinstein), both of whom were Spacey’s table tennis-playing friends, spoke in his support. 

Even British popstar and queer rights activist Elton John gave his testimony via video call along with his husband David Furnish. John spun the narrative, suggesting that there’s nothing wrong in enjoying casual sex if you’re a famous personality. He also suggested that hating on Spacey would equate homophobia when he said that it is "not a crime to have sex with someone of the same sex, because it's 2023 not 1823".

How did Spacey get away?

The London court had heard from the four alleged victims (unnamed for legal reasons) for four weeks but the jurors could not find substantial evidence in the claims, leading to the ultimate “not guilty” verdict in Spacey’s favour. 

Further, their opinions might have also been affected with Spacey’s other legal victory last year when he was also proven “not guilty” for the crimes that Anthony Rapp had accused him of. 

The three-week civil trial in a Manhattan federal court in 2022 had the jury concluding that Rapp had not proved his claim that Spacey had made an unwanted sexual advance and Judge Lewis Kaplan formally dismissed the case.

What now? 

Things were looking bright for Spacey right from last year itself following his legal victory over Rapp. While it’s highly unlikely that the Usual Suspects actor will return to the Hollywood mainstream and think of winning his third Oscar, he has already started acting in projects of smaller scale. 

He played a police detective in the 2022 Italian drama The Man Who Drew God and is set to appear in the upcoming 2023 thriller Peter Five Eight. 

What we can’t forget: Spacey’s “coming out letter”

Regardless of the court’s verdict, some audiences will forever stay wary of Spacey’s real-life persona considering his ominous and tonedeaf letter. Back when Anthony Rapp first came out with the sexual abuse claims in 2017 (with BuzzFeed publishing the story soon after), Spacey offered his side of things with an unexpected letter where he came out as gay, said that he didn't remember the incident, and apologised for his “inappropriate drunken behaviour” towards Rapp in 1986.

Spacey was 24 when he claimed to indulge in “inappropriate drunken behaviour” with Rapp in 1986. Rapp was 14.