New Delhi

When one looks at the characters that Kevin Spacey has played on screen, the ones that made him famous, one can't help but find similarities with the actor's real life. He became a household name playing the antagonist, darkly charismatic antiheroes in hits from The Usual Suspects to House of Cards. Spacey's real-life persona went through a drastic change after he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple men in 2017. Once revered for his craft and loved the world over, the actor's popularity witnessed a drastic fall post Me Too allegations and he was accused of using his popularity to hide his misdeeds. 

On Wednesday though, the two-time Oscar winner was acquitted of sex offences by a UK jury. Last year, a US court dismissed separate sexual allegations in a civil case.

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The downfall of a celebrated actor               

The two-time Oscar winner was one of the biggest stars of Hollywood and was one of the earliest celebrities whose popularity got drastically affected during the #MeToo movement in 2017. 

In October 2017, barely three weeks after #MeToo allegations broke against Harvey Weinstein, Spacey was hit with sexual assault claims when actor  Anthony Rapp alleged that he had been assaulted as a 14-year-old by Spacey during a party in 1986.

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Spacey swiftly apologised, but drew criticism for appearing to try to deflect the story by finally confirming that he was gay -- an open secret in Hollywood for years.

Within a month, Spacey had been accused of assault by multiple men on both sides of the Atlantic. He also was dropped from his iconic role in House of Cards by Netflix and was removed at the last minute from the film All the Money in the World.

Since then, Spacey has rarely been seen in public, with the exception of court appearances.  

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The UK trial, based on the accounts of four men, had Spacey appearing in court and testifying in front of the jury. Spacey had refuted all the charges of assault and seemingly had suggested that all the encounters were consensual in nature. He even claimed to feel betrayed by one of the accusers who he alleged was involved in a 'somewhat sexual' relationship with the star. 

Charges against Spacey        

During the four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, jurors were told by prosecutors that the actor had aggressively groped three of the men in incidents between 2004 and 2013 in the United Kingdom when he was working at London’s Old Vic theatre where he served as the artistic director. 

The fourth said Spacey performed oral sex on him while he had passed out in the Hollywood star’s London apartment.

During the trial, the prosecution had called Spacey a 'sexual bully' who used his popularity and celebrity status to prey on men. Prosecutor Christine Agnew said he was shielded by a “trinity of protection”: he knew men were unlikely to complain; In case they did, Spacey felt no one would believe them.

When Spacey gave evidence, Spacey, who was tried under his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler, said the case against him was weak, and that the incidents, if they had occurred, were consensual.

Will Spacey resurrect his career like Johnny Depp?                

The verdict in the Kevin Spacey UK trial case is eerily similar to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Defamation case that captured headlines last year. Depp and his ex-wife had filed counter cases against each other over an open article that Heard had written on being a victim of domestic violence. While Depp's name was nowhere mentioned in the article, the actor had alleged that it had tarnished his image and he lost out on plum projects. 

The jury's verdict was mostly in favour of Depp and since then the actor has been busy resurrecting his career. He made his comeback at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year at the premiere of his new film Jeanne du Barry, and has also released a new music album and more. 

While it is perhaps early to declare the same resurrection for Spacey, it cannot be denied that the verdict may change the tide for the gifted actor who has for years been celebrated for his craft. The downfall of his career post the allegations has cost him multiple things in life. Spacey was one of the early actors to tap on the potential of OTT and famously starred in Netflix show House Of Cards and won awards and applause for his role as the ruthless Congressman eyeing for the post of President of the United States.  He is also one of the rare actors who found success on three mediums- theatre, films and OTT. 

In 2019, assault charges against the actor were dropped in Massachusetts. In October 2022, a New York court dismissed Rapp's $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit. With Wednesday's verdict, Spacey has been cleared of all charges against him. Whether Hollywood too will give Spacey an opportunity to come back is something that we will have to wait and watch.

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