Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has avoided a new trial after settling 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.
Kevin Spacey portrayed Frank Underwood in House of Cards before allegations of sexual misconduct against him came to light. (Supplied: Netflix)
Actor Ruari Cannon, who waived his right to anonymity, along with two others who did not, claimed in the civil suit at London’s High Court that Mr Spacey abused them between 2000 and 2015 after meeting them when he was artistic director at London’s Old Vic theatre.
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Judge Christina Lambert had ruled at a hearing in November that the cases should be provisionally heard in October this year.
But on March 13 she ruled the proceedings should be frozen, “the parties having agreed to the terms of settlement as set out in the confidential schedule”, according to a court order revealed on Wednesday by the Press Association news agency.
Lambert made no order on costs.
In this court sketch, Kevin Spacey dabs his eyes with a tissue as he gives evidence at Southwark Crown Court in 2023. He was found not guilty of all nine charges. (PA via AP: Elizabeth Cook)
Mr Spacey was acquitted in 2023 of a number of criminal sexual charges alleged by four men following a trial in London.Â
Cannon — who was not involved in the 2023 case — also sued the Old Vic theatre, but settled that case out of court earlier this month.
Images showing Mr Spacey and former president Bill Clinton were included in files related to Jeffrey Epstein released by the department of justice.
After the files were released showing images of Mr Spacey, he said: “Release the Epstein files, all of them” in a post on X.
“For those of us with nothing to fear, the truth can’t come soon enough,” he said.
Kevin Spacey won the best supporting actor Oscar for the 1996 film The Usual Suspects and best actor in 2000 for American Beauty. (Reuters:Â Adrees Latif)
Mr Spacey won the best supporting actor Oscar for the 1996 film The Usual Suspects and best actor in 2000 for American Beauty.
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But 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 Mr Spacey has always denied.
In 2022, a New York court also dismissed a $40 million civil sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against him.
AFP