Kevin Spacey 'humbled' after being cleared of sex offences

Hollywood histrion Kevin Spacey wept successful tribunal arsenic helium was cleared of each charges successful his intersexual battle proceedings successful London.

Jurors astatine Southwark Crown Court returned not blameworthy verdicts for 9 intersexual offence charges relating to 4 men betwixt 2001 and 2013.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Spacey said helium was "grateful" to the assemblage arsenic helium thanked them for their deliberations - which took much than 12 hours.

Outside the tribunal the 64-year-old Oscar victor added helium was "humbled".

The US histrion was acquitted of 7 counts of intersexual assault, 1 number of causing a idiosyncratic to prosecute successful intersexual enactment without consent and 1 number of causing a idiosyncratic to prosecute successful penetrative intersexual enactment without consent.

After the verdict was read, helium enactment his manus connected his chest, looked astatine the jurors and mouthed "thank you" doubly earlier they near the room.

Addressing journalists connected the court's steps Mr Spacey said determination was "a batch for maine to process".

"I would similar to accidental that I americium enormously grateful to the assemblage for having taken the clip to analyse each of the grounds and each of the facts cautiously earlier they reached their decision," helium said.

"I americium humbled by the result today. I besides privation to convey the unit wrong this courthouse, the security, and each of those who took attraction of america each azygous day."

Jurors rejected the prosecution's claims Mr Spacey had "aggressively" grabbed 3 men by the crotch and had performed a enactment enactment connected different antheral portion helium was dormant successful his flat.

Prosecutors told the assemblage the prima had near the 4 complainants feeling "small, diminished and worthless".

Mr Spacey denied each charges - saying the allegations against him were "weak", "madness" and a "stab successful the back".

Under questioning from Mr Spacey's lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, the complainants had each denied either seeking fiscal gain, attempting to further their vocation oregon giving mendacious accounts to the jury.

By instrumentality each complainants are entitled to life-long anonymity.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said prosecutors respected the jury's decision.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "The relation of the CPS is not to determine whether a idiosyncratic is blameworthy of a transgression offence, but to marque fair, autarkic and nonsubjective assessments astir whether it is due to contiguous charges."

The proceedings lasted astir 4 weeks and jurors heard from aggregate witnesses - including Mr Spacey himself.

Defence witnesses included Sir Elton John, who appeared by video nexus from Monaco, arsenic good arsenic Sir Elton's husband, David Furnish.

The Hollywood prima won champion histrion Oscar successful 2000 for American Beauty, and champion supporting histrion successful 1995 for The Usual Suspects.

He was besides the creator manager astatine the Old Vic Theatre successful London betwixt 2004 and 2015.

Mr Spacey's vocation came to a halt successful 2017 aft a fig of accusations of inappropriate behaviour were made against him.

At the time, helium had the starring relation of Frank Underwood successful Netflix governmental play House of Cards, which helium lost.

He was charged with the offences against 3 men by the CPS successful May 2022, with further charges from a 4th complainant added successful November 2022.