After The Not Guilty Verdict In London, What Does Kevin Spacey’s Career Look Like?
On Wednesday, July 26, actor Kevin Spacey was handed a not guilty verdict by a jury in Southwark Crown Court, UK. The charges facing Spacey were brought by four men who claimed they’d been sexually assaulted between 2004 and 2013, reports The Guardian.
The actor maintains innocence against all allegations
Since actor Anthony Rapp made allegations to BuzzFeed in 2017 that Spacey had sexually assaulted him when he was 14, over 30 men have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, reports The Cut. The 64-year-old US actor went to London “to clear his name”, he said, in what became a month-long trial.
Speaking to the press following his acquittal, Spacey said: “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.”
But what now?
Spacey gave interviews in the lead-up to his trial speaking about wanting to reclaim his former career once vindicated. The Southwark jury has given the two-time Oscar winner this vindication, but what will his career look like following the allegations?
“In 10 years, it won’t mean anything. My work will live longer than I will, and that’s what will be remembered,” Spacey told Zeit Magazine. “There are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London.”
The Guardian spoke with PR expert Mark Borkowski who believes the path back to the spotlight won’t be easy for Spacey. “I think it’s highly unlikely that a big franchise will come knocking on Kevin Spacey’s door while this level of negative publicity hangs around him. I don’t believe the likes of Disney or the big US studios will take that kind of risk,” says Borkowski.
Despite this, Borkowski believes there’s still opportunity for Spacey. “The world is a very big place with many different attitudes and values. We’ve seen many people who’ve been accused of things, or thrust into cancel culture, finding a career path – despite the noise on social media,” he says.
Spacey may have been found not guilty by a jury in court, but what about the court of public opinion? Has the actor’s image been tarnished beyond recovery and, if not, then what should his career look like as he attempts to move past these allegations?
