London jury acquits Kevin Spacey of sexual assault charges on his birthday

LONDON (AP) — Kevin Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault on Wednesday after the Oscar winner's star turn as a witness in his own defence spared him a possible prison term and gave him a shot at a career comeback.

Tears rolled down Spacey's cheeks as the final "not guilty" verdict was read. The actor looked at the jury, placed his hand over the lapel of his blue suit and mouthed the words "thank you." It was his 64th birthday.

Spacey's wide-ranging testimony culminated as he choked up speaking of the six years he'd gone without work after sex abuse allegations surfaced against him during the #MeToo movement in the US in 2017.

"My world exploded," Spacey testified. "There was a rush to judgement and before the first question was asked or answered I lost my job, I lost my reputation, I lost everything in a matter of days."

Three men accused the Oscar winner of aggressively grabbing their crotches, describing him as "vile" and a "slippery, snaky" predator. A fourth, an aspiring actor, said he awoke to the actor performing oral sex on him after going to Spacey's London apartment for career advice and a beer and either falling asleep or passing out.

Spacey said he was a "big flirt" who had consensual flings with men and whose only misstep was touching a man's groin while making a "clumsy pass."

Defence lawyer Patrick Gibbs said three of the men were liars and incidents had been "reimagined with a sinister spin." He accused them of hopping on a "bandwagon" of complaints in the hope of striking it rich.

Prosecutor Christine Agnew told jurors that Spacey was a "sexual bully" who took what he wanted when he wanted. She said he was shielded by a "trinity of protection" — he knew men were unlikely to complain; they wouldn't be believed if they did complain; and if they did complain, no action would be taken because he was powerful.

Spacey had faced nine charges, including multiple counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Spacey had viewed the London case as a chance for redemption, telling German magazine Zeit last month that there were "people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London."

The accusations date from 2001 to 2013 and include a period when Spacey — after winning Academy Awards for "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty" — had returned to the theatre, his first love. During most of that period, he was artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre in London.

The men came forward after an American actor accused Spacey of sexual misconduct as the #MeToo movement heated up in 2017.

Several of the men said they had been haunted by the abuse and couldn't bear to watch Spacey's films.

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