Can Kevin Spacey's Career Survive His Sexual Assault Case?

Kevin Spacey's recent court victory—in which he was found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men after a trial in the U.K.—should prompt an end to his almost six years of exile from Hollywood, industry experts have told Newsweek.

During a highly publicized trial, which took place at London's Southwark Crown Court, Spacey denied nine charges that included seven counts of sexual assault. His accusers had alleged that the incidents took place between 2001 and 2013.

While Spacey's accusers had branded the Oscar winner a "vile sexual predator," the American Beauty star countered that the accusations leveled against him were a "stab in the back" from men with whom he said he'd had consensual encounters.

He did, however, admit to touching one man's crotch in what he described as a "clumsy pass" after misinterpreting the signals, rather than a sexual assault.

After a jury sided with Spacey on July 26—which also happened to be the actor's 64th birthday—he briefly spoke to reporters gathered outside the London courthouse, close to where he had previous served as artistic director of The Old Vic Theatre.

"I imagine that many of you can understand that there's a lot for me to process after what has just happened," he said. "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."

His dramatic fall from grace came in October 2017, when an explosive interview was published with actor Anthony Rapp. In it, he accused Spacey of "trying to seduce" him at a party in 1986 when he was aged 14 and the actor was 26.

Spacey released a statement on Twitter after the story broke, in which he said he had no memory of the alleged incident, while also offering Rapp an apology.

This allegation prompted more men to subsequently come forward with similar accusations, leading to an abrupt halt to Spacey's Hollywood career and subsequent removal from several of his projects.

Back in October, a federal jury in New York City found that Spacey was not liable for battery in a $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit brought by Rapp.

"Anthony told his truth in court," Rapp's attorney Richard Steigman told Newsweek at the time. "While we respect the jury's verdict, nothing changes that."

'Persona Non Grata'

Victorious in courts on either side of the Atlantic, where does Spacey now stand in the court of public opinion, and does he stand a chance of reviving his career?

"Kevin Spacey can and should make every attempt to reclaim his career," Evan Nierman, CEO of Red Banyan Crisis PR and author of The Cancel Culture Curse told Newsweek. "The same studios and directors who rushed to distance themselves from him should be open to giving him another chance.

"Though he has been persona non grata for the last six years, Spacey has a storied career and deserves to fully rebound now that he has been cleared in court. The best chance he has of doing so is to fully take control of the narrative and engage directly with the media, especially outlets that can amplify his message."

In November 2017, Spacey was dropped from his leading role in Netflix's House of Cards and was ordered to pay approximately $31 million to the studio behind the series for violating their sexual harassment policy and for breach of contract.

He was also recast in the movie All the Money in the World and the release of his then-upcoming film Gore was abandoned.

The wholesale shunning of Spacey came at a time when the #MeToo and Time's Up movements were dominating the landscape, with countless people stepping forward to share allegations of sexual misconduct at the hands of the powerful.

"The world should know that Spacey has been cleared of these allegations," Nierman said of the court case. "Often, people pay significantly more attention to racy and memorable claims than to bland denials or outcomes in court that come years after the story breaks.

"Spacey should go full throttle in terms of putting himself out there before the public to reclaim the reputation that was tarnished when he was presumed guilty in the court of public opinion."

'The Internet Never Forgets'

With the allegations against Spacey appearing to have made a splashier impact than the news that courts had ruled in his favor, even the most optimistic of observers would likely accept that the actor faces something of an uphill battle in any future efforts to pull back his career.

"Because the internet never forgets, Spacey's name will forever be linked to the accusations, but that should not prevent him from receiving redemption," said Nierman, who shared some advice on how the star could move to sanitize his image.

"If my team and I were advising him, we would move rapidly to grant interviews to top-tier press," he explained. "We would also encourage him to be smart and strategic about the next role he accepts, aiming for a 'good guy' role as opposed to a villain."

Ryan McCormick, crisis communications expert and managing partner at Goldman McCormick PR, shared similar sentiments, telling Newsweek that "for the foreseeable future it'll likely be very difficult for audiences to accept Spacey in an Father Knows Best type role.

"However, other roles which exude complex, dark psychological qualities will remind audiences of Spacey's talents. If a number of high profile actors [and] actresses openly refuse to work with Spacey that is not a positive sign for his reputation. But, as the passing of time progresses and memories fade, I think we can expect Spacey to subtly re-enter the Hollywood stage."

A Question of Demand

For McCormick, Spacey's chance of a successful comeback ultimately boils down to the public's desire to see him on screens again, and whether studios view him as profitable.

"If his upcoming screen roles are warmly received, as long as he's making other people money, his career will continue on," said McCormick. "At the Oscars, Will Smith assaulted Chris Rock and instead of being removed, he was allowed to stay and receive a prolonged ovation for his Oscar win."

Away from the big screen, McCormick explained that the "massive undertaking" of winning over the public should involve an impacting step of the star "being actively involved in anti-sexual violence organizations, [by] helping and raising awareness whenever possible)."

After the allegations initially came to light, not everybody in the industry turned their backs on Spacey. He landed a role in the 2022 Italian drama L'uomo che disegnò Dio (The Man Who Drew God), and one prolific filmmaker publicly declared a desire to work with him.

"Shortly before he passed away, famous Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci was asked if given the chance, he would cast Kevin Spacey in one of his upcoming films," Stefano Da Frè, director of movie Stolen Dough and president of Rosso Films International, recounted to Newsweek.

"Bertolucci answered that any director firing an actor like Kevin Spacey should be ashamed of doing so, especially if such a dismissal was only related to the actor's personal life," Da Frè said. "Unfortunately in Hollywood, as in real life, those lines are not so clear and the question of 'how much time' until someone is again redeemable depends on both the accusations, and the person."

'His Name Will Forever Be Tarnished'

Back in April 2018, Cinema Paradiso director Bertolucci blasted Ridley Scott's decision to replace Spacey in All the Money in the World.

Accusing Scott of caving to pressure, Bertolucci, who passed away in November 2018, said that he "immediately wanted to make a film with Spacey."

Da Frè told Newsweek that if Spacey has been "repeatedly been found not guilty in several court cases, then the opportunity for him to continue working as an actor should exist.

"His name will forever be tarnished, and potential producers' hesitation will always remain, yet Spacey's ability to work, even meager low budget employment should be permitted if no evidence exists that he broke the law."

Whether Spacey will be welcomed back into the Hollywood fold with open arms remains to be seen. However, Nierman told Newsweek that Spacey's fall from grace could serve to be a cautionary tale.

"Sadly, Kevin Spacey is the latest in a string of high-profile individuals who have been the targets of 'cancel vultures,'" said Nierman.

He added that "the cancelation [of Spacey] happened quickly, people were afraid to come to his defense, and moral absolutism was employed by those who canceled him."