'Justice was done!' Kevin Spacey's attorney says he is 'deeply thankful' to jury after being found not liable in Anthony Rapp sex abuse lawsuit

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Kevin Spacey's attorney declared that justice was served on Thursday after he was found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young actor.

Speaking on his behalf to FOX News, his attorney Jennifer Keller said: 'Mr. Spacey is grateful to live in a country where the citizens have a right to trial by impartial jurors who made their decision based on evidence and not rumor or social media. 

'He is deeply thankful to this particular jury,' she continued. 'This was a highly educated group of six women and five men, all except one college graduate and most with graduate degrees.

'Their verdict was swift and decisive,' she said. 'Justice was done today.'

The jury panel in New York City found after a three-week trial that Star Trek star Anthony Rapp did not prove that the Oscar winner made an unwanted sexual advance on him when he was 14.

Immediately after, Keller said: 'We're very grateful that this American jury saw through these false allegations.

'Spacey is deeply grateful,' she said at the time. 'What's next is Mr. Spacey is going to be proving that he's innocent of anything he's been accused of.' 

Kevin Spacey's attorney declared that justice was served on Thursday after he was found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young actor 

Spacey's lawyers attempted to rush him through the crowd of journalists and bystanders waiting outside Thursday afternoon

Anthony Rapp, now 51, accused Spacey of making an unwanted sexual advance on him 1986, when he was 14-years-old and Spacey was 26. 

After Rapp's loss Thursday, the 'Star Trek' actor also released a statement thanking the jury for hearing his story and doubling down on his plans to continue advocating for victims and survivors. 

'I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have my case heard before a jury, and I thank the members of the jury for their service. 

'Bringing this lawsuit was always about about shining a light, as part of the larger movement to stand up against all forms of sexual violence. 

'I pledge to keep on advocating for efforts to ensure that we can live and work in a world that is free from sexual violence of any kind. I sincerely hope that survivors continue to tell their stories and fight for accountability.' 

Anthony Rapp tweeted out his thoughts following the announcement of the verdict in the sexual assault trial brought by him against Kevin Spacey 

Rapp, known for 'Star Trek' and 'RENT,' arrived at the Manhattan courthouse ahead of the announcement made by the jury in the trail

Rapp said after the verdict was announced that he will continue to advocate for victims and survivors despite his own loss in court 

Over the years, Spacey has repeatedly denied the allegation made by Rapp and said he had never been alone with the actor.

Deliberations began in midafternoon after a lawyer for Rapp, Richard Steigman, urged jurors to make Spacey pay for trying to molest Rapp in 1986 after a party in Spacey's Manhattan apartment. He accused Spacey of lying on the witness stand.

Rapp's lawyer, Steigman, urged jurors to discredit Spacey's recollection of the events.

'It's inconsistent. It's not worthy of your belief,' Steigman said during closing arguments.

Jennifer Keller, a lawyer for Spacey, told jurors that Rapp made up the encounter and said they should reject Rapp's claims.

During the trial, Rapp,  called five witnesses including Andrew Holtzman, who alleged that Spacey lifted him up and thrust his erect penis onto his body in an office of the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1981.

Holtzman said that Spacey did not speak during the incident while he shouted: 'Get off of me!'

During his testimony, Rapp described how he had been performing in the play Precious Sons in 1986 alongside Ed Harris when he met Spacey.

Rapp and his friend John Barrowman, the star of the BBC series Torchwood, who was 19 at the time, went to see the play Long Day's Journey Into Night starring Jack Lemmon and Spacey and were invited backstage.

Spacey invited them out for dinner and then to a club in Manhattan called Limelight. According to Rapp, Spacey gave him his address and invited him over to his apartment a few days later.

When Rapp arrived he didn't know anyone else so went into the bedroom to watch TV, he told the court.

Closing arguments began on Thursday in Kevin Spacey's civil sex abuse trial, as the Oscar-winning actor fights allegations that he made an unwanted advance on a 14-year-old in 1986. He has denied the claims

 Spacey is accused of sexually assaulting an actor, who was then 14 years old, in 1986. Pictured: Spacey arriving at court on Thursday

Anthony Rapp (right) arrives at court on Thursday. During the trial, he alleged that Spacey lifted him up and thrust his erect penis onto his body in an office of the NY Shakespeare Festival in 1981

Spacey, who was 26 at the time, came in a while later, apparently drunk, after everyone else had gone.

Rapp said that Spacey picked him up 'like a groom takes a bride over the threshold'.

He said: 'I was confused. I was thinking I didn't know what was happening'.

Motioning with his hands to the jury, Rapp said that Spacey's hands were 'up my back, coming over the top of my shoulders'.

Spacey's chest was 'pressed firmly into my chest', Rapp said, leaving him feeling 'pinned' to the bed.

Rapp said at that moment: 'I knew something was really wrong…I had to get out of there. I was feeling very frozen. I felt like a deer in headlights. I didn't know what to do.

'I managed to wriggle out from underneath him', moving his body to show the jury the motion.

Rapp told the jury that after the incident he watched Spacey's films including LA Confidential and The Ref out of a sense of professional 'duty' even though it made him uncomfortable.

But he stopped doing so after American Beauty because Spacey's character becomes infatuated with a teenage girl.

Rapp said it felt 'unpleasantly familiar'.

In court Rapp appeared nervous and tense and on breaks he often got hugs from his husband Ken (left), who sat in the front row every day

Spacey appeared much more relaxed and calm during the trial, and was seen chatting with his lawyers or his live-in manager Evan Lowenstein, who was in court each day

According to Rapp, the incident had a 'lingering' effect on him, shutting his eyes as he said that he sometimes felt 'frozen' and that he had 'disturbing, intrusive thoughts' about it.

Asked by one of his lawyers if he was making it up, Rapp's voice went deep with emotion as he said: 'This is something that happened to me. It was not OK'.

Rapp became rattled under forensic cross examination from Jennifer Keller, Spacey's lawyer.

She suggested that he made up his allegations because he was jealous and claimed that he became 'enraged' every time he read about Spacey winning another award.

Ms Keller contrasted Spacey winning his second Oscar for American Beauty in 1999 with Rapp's failed music career where he sold just 26 CDs after one gig.

She said that if Spacey was 'Kevin nobody' then Rapp would not have continued to tell people about his 'Kevin Spacey story'.

Ms Keller said to Rapp: 'Do you really expect us to believe that you were not envious of someone who won multiple Oscars, Tonys, was nominated for multiple Emmys and Golden Globes?

'You wanted to be that person, didn't you?'

Rapp replied: 'I did not want to be this person'.

Ms Keller got Rapp to admit that it was not true that he was inspired to speak out in 2017 after reading an article in the New York Times by Lupita Nyong'o.

In fact he had started speaking to a Buzzfeed journalist eight days before.

Rapp admitted it was 'not true' after the judge admonished him for not answering directly.

Spacey listens to closing arguments on Thursday

Rapp's lawyer, Richard Steigman, urged jurors to discredit Spacey´s recollection of the events. 'It's inconsistent. It's not worthy of your belief,' Steigman said during closing arguments

During the trial, Rapp became rattled under forensic cross examination from Jennifer Keller, Spacey's lawyer

In another difficult moment for Rapp, he agreed that he was 'accustomed' to having a man lay on top of him at the time as Ed Harris, who played his father in Precious Sons, did exactly that in one scene in the play.

Ms Keller also questioned why Rapp's mother would let her 14-year-old son walk around the streets of New York after midnight to go to a party with Spacey, who he barely knew.

Rapp said that his childhood was unusual but he had proved he deserved his 'independence'.

During his testimony Spacey said that he was 'shocked and frightened' when he learned about the allegations in the Buzzfeed article in 2017.

Spacey said that he had 'never been alone' with Rapp and he 'didn't know how that (the allegation) could be possibly true'.

With tears in his eyes, Spacey said that his team of advisers and publicists 'knew this wasn't me'.

He said: 'I was never interested in children'

Spacey hit back at Rapp's claim in the Buzzfeed article he was a fraud for not coming out.

He revealed for the first time that his father was a 'Neo Nazi' and that taught him to 'never, ever' talk about his private life.

Spacey became emotional as he apologized for coming out after being accused as it linked the incident with Rapp to being gay.

He said: 'I was accused by the gay community of trying to change the subject or trying to deflect or conflating allegations with being gay which was never my intention'.

Spacey dabbed his eyes with a tissue as he said: 'I would never have done anything to hurt the gay community and I was so upset that happened.

'I have to own that. It's my responsibility and I put it out there. It was really wrong and it was really bad and I'm deeply sorry', bowing his head as he cried.

In court Rapp appeared nervous and tense and on breaks he often got hugs from his husband Ken, who sat in the front row every day.

Spacey appeared much more relaxed and calm and was seen chatting with his lawyers or his live-in manager Evan Lowenstein, who was in court each day.

At one point he went up to a court sketch artist in the public gallery and asked to see her picture of him and nodded in approval.

The tension between Spacey and Rapp was palpable and at one point Rapp stopped and closed his eyes to allow Spacey to walk in front of him.

Rapp called Lisa Rocchio, a forensic psychologist, who said he was suffering from delayed onset PTSD from his experience with Spacey.

Spacey called his own forensic psychologist, Dr Andrew Barday, who disagreed and said Rapp met some of the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder.

Another key witness was Barrowman who said in a video deposition that he flirted with Spacey on their night out with Rapp.

Rapp said that when he was 14 and appearing in the Broadway play Precious Sons, Ed Harris, who played his father, would lie on top of him and say he wanted sex

Barrowman told the jury that while Rapp was in the bathroom, Spacey 'playfully' pushed him onto the bed with his arm so they were lying next to each other.

Barrowman said: 'He leaned to the side to talk to me with his arm on top of me. It didn't affect me in a bad way. I didn't feel threatened'.

But Barrowman knew it 'probably wasn't the best situation' to be in because of Rapp's age so he pushed the arm off and they both got up.

Barrowman said: 'I was a big enough boy and already knew I was gay. I wasn't threatened and was actually to be honest quite flattered that an older man was taking any interest in me.

'I wasn't under age but Anthony was the age he was and I didn't want him to be in that situation'.

Barrowman added he felt 'protective' towards Rapp as they grew up in the same suburb of Illinois and acted together in school.

The court was shown messages between Barrowman and Rapp in 2017 when Rapp went public.

In 2020 Barrowman heard Rapp had sued Spacey and messaged him: 'If you need me I will stand for you in court. He knew you were a minor. He knew what he was doing'.

During the trial Judge Lewis Kaplan had repeatedly expressed frustration with how proceedings were moving.

He interrupted Rapp several times during his testimony and told him to answer the question.

On the morning of the third day of Rapp's testimony, Judge Kaplan said that in his responses he was 'trying to figure out how to answer the question without answering the question, frankly'.

Judge Kaplan said: 'We're going to have an end to that'.

Born in New Jersey in 1959, Spacey studied at New York's prestigious Juilliard School and made his professional stage debut in 1981.

He won an Oscar for his role in 1995's The Usual Suspects and a second Academy Award for American beauty in 2000.

In American Beauty, Spacey plays a father and husband who becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend

In 2015 he received an honorary knighthood and a special Olivier award for his contributions to British theater.

Spacey was fired from the Netflix series House of Cards as a result of the allegations 

He was accused of groping an 18-year-old at a bar in Massachusetts in 2016 but the case was dropped when the accuser refused to testify about a missing phone.

In August a judge in the US ruled he must pay $31m (£29.5m) to MRC, the producers of House of Cards, for his firing in 2017.

Among the roles taken away from Spacey was oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World which was reshot using Christopher Plummer.

A Netflix biopic of Gore Vidal starring Spacey has been permanently shelved.

The jury's decision comes ahead of another trial in the UK that Spacey faces next year.

Spacey is due to stand trial for five sexual assault allegations related to three men between 2005 and 2013, a period when he was creative director of the Old Vic Theatre.

He has pleaded not guilty.