Actor Kevin Spacey cried in a London court on Wednesday after being cleared of all charges in a four-week sexual assault trial.
The Oscar winner, 64, was founded not guilty on seven counts of sexual assault and two counts of other serious sexual offenses.
The allegations came from 2004 to 2013 when Spacey was the artistic director of a London theater.
The jury deliberated for 12 hours and 26 minutes over three days before clearing him on his 64th birthday.
Spacey said outside the courtroom that he was relieved and “humbled.” He thanked the court staff and his legal team.
“I imagine that many of you can understand that there’s a lot for me to process after what has just happened today. But I would like to say that I’m enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully, before they reached their decision. And I am humbled by the outcome today,” he said, according to CNN.
During the trial, Spacey was called “a sexual bully” by prosecutors.
Prosecutor Christine Agnew told jurors that Spacey “delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable,” the PA Media news agency reported.
Spacey’s attorney Patrick Gibbs said in court on July 20 that three complainants were lying. According to The New York Times, he suggested they made the allegations in the hope of financial gain.
Gibbs said Spacey’s promiscuous lifestyle made him “quite an easy target.”
Spacey is a two-time Academy Award winner for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty.” His recent appearances have included TV’s “House of Cards.
The actor’s future in entertainment was unknown during the trial. In an interview with a German magazine, he said he was optimistic.
“I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges,” he told Zeit Magazin.
