🎭🎬 “Spacey Slips Past Battery Accusations! Kevin Wins Round One in the Courtroom 🥊⚖️”
TL;DR;
Kevin Spacey, the ex-“House of Cards” star, escaped the legal jaws of a battery accusation leveled by Anthony Rapp. An 11-member jury said “Nope, not this time” 🙅♀️ after only 90 minutes of chewing on the evidence. Spacey claimed he never climbed on top of Rapp, making no sexual advances towards him more than 30 years ago when Rapp was a tender 14. The case unfolded under the Child Victims Act of New York. When the verdict was read, it was tears and hugs for team Spacey, while Rapp maintained his poker face.
🎭 Spacey’s Battery Charge Saga 🎭
In a courtroom drama that almost beat the intensity of a “House of Cards” season finale, Kevin Spacey won a victory when a federal jury found him not guilty of battery. Anthony Rapp, an actor best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals like “Rent”, pointed a spotlight on Spacey in 2017 with the accusation.
Rapp painted a picture of a 1986 party at Spacey’s New York crib during a Broadway season when both actors were out and about in the city’s theatre scene. Spacey, 26 years old at the time, met this accusation with a straight-out denial. 🚫
Wait for it! 👀 In a plot twist, the jury found that Spacey did not touch a sexual or intimate part of Rapp’s, leading them to conclude Spacey was not liable under the Child Victims Act. This New York State law provides a ‘back to the future’ window for older claims already past their legal sell-by date to get a second chance at justice.
After the verdict was read, Spacey looked like he won the Oscar of Legal Trials with tears welling up in his eyes. Hugs were shared, with his lawyers getting a brief one, and his assistant getting the Oscar-winning long embrace. Rapp, on the other hand, could’ve won an award for maintaining his stoic poker face throughout the proceedings.
Spacey’s lawyer, Jennifer L. Keller, expressed her gratitude that the jury saw the “truth”. Meanwhile, Rapp took to Twitter, expressing his deep gratitude for having his case heard before a jury. For him, it was all about shining a light against all forms of sexual violence. 💡
Rapp’s claim against Spacey sent shockwaves through the #MeToo movement, causing a ripple effect that rocked the entertainment, political, and business worlds. The fallout was so severe that Spacey was booted out of “House of Cards”.🎴💔
Following Rapp’s disclosure, more than a dozen sexual misconduct accusations have been filed against Spacey. The man, however, maintains his innocence, pleading not guilty to sexual assault charges in Britain.
In this civil trial, the jury didn’t have to be convinced beyond reasonable doubt. All they needed was a majority consensus on whether the evidence weighed more in favour of the plaintiff or the defendant.
But here’s the real question: does this not guilty verdict really put an end to the accusations against Spacey? Or will the echoes of the #MeToo movement keep reverberating, causing further tremors in Spacey’s life? After all, the jury in the court of public opinion is still out. What’s your verdict? 🏛️👩⚖️
