A London jury has found Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey not guilty of seven sexual assaults and two other sexual offenses against four men.
The Hollywood star, 64, had faced sex offense charges that allegedly took place between 2004 and 2013, during which time Spacey served as artistic director at the Old Vic theater in London.
He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Spacey had tears in his eyes as the verdict was read and thanked the jury after the panel found him not guilty.
The verdict also comes today, July 26 which is his 64th birthday.
Justice Mark Wall had sent the jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court out to consider its verdicts on Monday at 12.45 p.m. local time.
After 12 hours and 26 minutes of deliberation across three days, the jury returned on Wednesday and delivered its verdict that Spacey was not guilty on all counts.
The Gaurdian reported, Spacey looked to his legal team as the verdict was delivered, wearing a somber dark suit, a pink shirt, and a burgundy pocket square and tie.
Throughout the trial, Spacey firmly denied the charges against him, describing the allegations as ‘madness’ and ‘absolute bollocks.’
He accused the alleged victims of being financially motivated and claimed that one of them was driven by the desire for money.
He rejected claims that he had grabbed a man’s crotch at a West End theatre in the mid-2000s, saying: ‘It never happened.’
The actor, known for his emotionally charged performances on screen, appeared emotional as he hugged his legal team after being discharged on his birthday.
Spacey has won two Academy Awards for his roles in ‘The Usual Suspects’ and ‘American Beauty.’
He has returned to acting in recent years after leaving ‘House of Cards.’
The actor starred in the Netflix series for five seasons before being fired in 2017 over allegations of misconduct on and off the set.
