Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has settled out of court with three men who launched a UK civil suit against him, accusing him of sexual assault. The 66-year-old star of “American Beauty” and drama series “House of Cards” has always denied any wrongdoing.
Actor Ruari Cannon, who waived his right to anonymity, along with two others who did not, claimed in the civil suits at London’s High Court that Spacey abused them between 2000 and 2015 after meeting them when he was artistic director at London’s Old Vic theatre.
A judge had initially ruled that the cases should be provisionally heard in October this year, but the proceedings were frozen after the parties agreed to the terms of settlement. The court order, revealed by the Press Association news agency, stated that no order on costs was made.
This development comes after Spacey was acquitted in 2023 of a number of criminal sexual charges alleged by four men following a trial in London. Additionally, Cannon had also sued the Old Vic theatre but settled that case out of court earlier this month.
Background and Career
Spacey won the best supporting actor Oscar for the 1996 film “The Usual Suspects” and best actor in 2000 for “American Beauty”. However, his once-stellar career was damaged by various allegations of sexual offences, which first emerged in 2017 as part of the #MeToo movement, and which Spacey has always denied.
Notably, in 2022, a New York court also dismissed a $40 million civil sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against him.
Key Points
- Kevin Spacey settles out of court with three men who accused him of sexual assault in a UK civil suit.
- The allegations span from 2000 to 2015, during his time as artistic director at London’s Old Vic theatre.
- Spacey was previously acquitted of criminal sexual charges in 2023 and had a $40 million civil sexual misconduct lawsuit dismissed in 2022.