Kevin Spacey settles with 3 alleged sexual assault victims ahead of civil trial in London

Actor Kevin Spacey will avoid another headline-grabbing trial in London by settling out of court with three men who have accused him of sexual assault, according to a court order released this week. The news of the settlement comes after Spacey was cleared of nine charges, including sexual assault, during a 2023 criminal trial in the British capital.

Two of the claimants in the civil trial, which was planned to go forward at London’s High Court later this year, were complainants who gave evidence during the actor’s 2023 trial in London. All three claimants’ charges, which have been stayed as part of the settlement, were tied to events that allegedly occurred from 2000 to 2013 — a period during which Spacey was the artistic director for the historic Old Vic theater in London.

One of the claimants, Ruari Cannon, who has waived his right to anonymity, alleged that the House of Cards actor groped him during a party at the Old Vic, following the press night for the venue’s production of Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth. Cannon, who participated in the Channel 4 and HBO documentary Spacey Unmasked, settled with the theater in relation to the charges earlier this month.

Since allegations against the Oscar-winning actor began to surface in 2017, he has rigidly maintained his innocence.