A jury in a New York court has ruled that Kevin Spacey is not at all guilty in the trial conducted against him by Anthony Raup for the tort of sexual harassment he claimed he experienced from the actor.
Raap sued Spacey for $40 million.
The jurors deliberated for less than two hours on the issue after the closing arguments stage, at the end of a two-week trial.
Raap, an actor who also participated in the series "Star Trek: Discovery", claimed that when he was 14 years old, Spacey, who was then 26 years old, tried to woo him sexually and aggressively.
He claimed that the actor who was older than him physically lifted him in the air "like a groom lifting a bride" and carried him towards a bed in order to have sex with him.
Raap, who is now 50 years old, testified at the trial and described the case as "extraordinarily disturbing" as well as "the most traumatic event of my life."
Spacey, who previously publicly apologized to Raap, claimed that the incident never happened and that a public relations person convinced him to publish the apology.
"It was a mistake," he said of the apology.
During the trial, the Hollywood star's lawyers tried to present the accuser as a frustrated actor "who grew up and became resentful as he didn't get acting roles", with "narcissistic tendencies".
Anthony Rapp.
His claim in the amount of 40 million dollars was rejected, photo: AFP
In addition, Spacey's lawyers focused on the inconsistencies in Raap's story, especially regarding the description of the ground floor of the apartment, where the alleged incident took place.
In his testimony, the prosecutor told about an apartment with a separate bedroom, while Spacey himself lives in a studio apartment of which the bedroom is a part.
"The key witness in this case is the ground floor," attorney Jennifer Keller said in closing arguments.
After the jury ruled in Spacey's favor, Richard Steigman, Raap's lawyer, said: "Anthony told his truth. We respect the jury's decision, but it doesn't change the truth."
This is not the end of Spacey's legal troubles.
Last July, he pleaded not guilty to five counts of sexual assault in the UK, with the trial expected to take place next year.
In addition, he lost a lawsuit, following which he had to pay the producers of "House of Cards", the hit series in which he starred, an amount of 31 million dollars.
Spacey was fired from the show after eight cast members accused him of sexual misconduct.
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