Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has been cleared of all charges after a four-week trial in London on claims of sexual assault. The Hollywood star, 64, had tears in his eyes as the jury at Southwark Crown Court found him not guilty of seven counts of sexual assault and two counts of other serious sexual offenses.
The allegations covered a period between 2004 and 2013, when Spacey served as artistic director at the Old Vic theater in the British capital. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Spacey thanked the jury after it cleared him following 12 hours and 26 minutes of deliberation across three days. Today also marks his 64th birthday. In a brief statement to reporters outside the court shortly after the verdict, Spacey said he was “humbled.” “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 said.