Kevin Spacey Trial: Anthony Rapp Loses $40M Sexual Battery Lawsuit

A New York jury has sided with Kevin Spacey in a $40 million civil suit, finding the Oscar winner did not molest Anthony Rapp as a teenager and is not liable for personal injury. After approximately 80 minutes of deliberation, the jury unanimously concluded that Rapp’s attorneys could not prove Spacey had touched “any sexual or intimate part” of Rapp.

Rapp seemed impassive as Judge Lewis Kaplan formally dismissed the case, and Spacey bowed his head briefly. He later got up and hugged Chase Scolnick, a member of his legal team.

In a statement on social media, Rapp didn’t directly mention the verdict, but thanked the jury for hearing the case. “Bringing this lawsuit has always been about standing up as part of a larger movement against all forms of sexual violence,” he wrote. “I pledge to remain committed to efforts to ensure we can live and work in a world free from sexual violence of any kind. I sincerely hope that survivors will continue to tell their stories and fight for accountability.”

Rapp first made his claims in a 2017 BuzzFeed article, in which he said Spacey picked him up, laid him on his bed, and pinned Rapp in a sexually aggressive manner. The alleged attack happened after a party at Spacey’s New York apartment in 1986. Rapp was 14 at the time and Spacey was 26. The two met while appearing in Broadway productions – Rapp in Precious Sons with Ed Harris , Spacey in a Jack Lemmon-directed revival of Long Days Journey Into Night. In court, Rapp called the event one of the “most traumatic” of his life.

But Spacey’s lawyers picked up inconsistencies in Rapp’s testimony. For example, they noted that Rapp described Spacey as having a separate bedroom when a floor plan they created showed the actor living in a studio apartment with what used to be a central room. “The key witness to our case was the floor plan,” Jennifer Keller, an attorney for Spacey, said in her closing remarks Thursday.

They also argued that Rapp was upset that Spacey wasn’t openly gay and that he was consumed by jealousy over the actor’s superior Hollywood career. Rapp starred in the original Broadway production of Rent and appears in Star Trek: Discovery. Spacey has appeared in hit films such as American Beauty and LA Confidential, as well as the Netflix series House of Cards.

After hearing the verdict outside the courthouse, Keller praised the decision. “We are very grateful to the jury for clearing these false allegations,” she said.

In their closing arguments, Rapp’s side argued that Spacey was a sexual predator who took advantage of a child. “[Kevin Spacey] can’t control his sexual urges when they come up,” said Richard Steigman, one of the attorneys on Rapp’s team.

Rapp was dealt a blow earlier this week when Judge Kaplan ordered an emotional distress claim dropped from the case and ruled superfluous.

Despite scoring a win against Rapp, Spacey still faces legal challenges. He was ordered to pay MRC, the producer of ‘House of Cards’, $31 million in damages after the political thriller’s episode order was cut due to abuse allegations against the star. Spacey is also accused in the UK of sexually assaulting three men while he was living in London as artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre. He has pleaded not guilty.

When Rapp first made his claims public in 2017, Spacey was contrite and offered “the most sincere apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” In court, Spacey said he was pressured by his publicist to make the statement.

“I was encouraged to apologize and I learned a lesson in never apologizing for something you didn’t do,” Spacey testified. “I regret my whole statement.”

Updated: 2:47pm PST