Kevin Spacey made his first public appearance since being pronounced not guilty in the UK sexual assault trial in July. On Monday, he delivered a lecture on cancel culture at Oxford University and received a standing ovation too, as claimed by The Hollywood Reporter. (Also Read: Kevin Spacey says he was rushed to hospital after fearing a heart attack in Uzbekistan: ‘I felt my left arm go numb’)
Kevin’s comeback
Kevin Spacey didn’t deliver a direct lecture on cancel culture, but performed a five-minute scene from William Shakespeare’s play Timon of Athens. Written in the early 1600s, the play revolves around a wealthy inhabitant of the Greek capital who spent money recklessly in favour of his greedy and selfish friends, only to get disowned by them once he loses all the riches.
While Kevin didn’t throw any light on the reason behind choosing this particular play for his first recital since the UK trial, it bears a close parallel to his life, when he was cancelled after multiple allegations of sexual assault surfaced against the actor as part of the Me Too movement in 2018.
Kevin’s sexual assault trial
Kevin, 64, was pronounced not guilty of multiple charges of sexual assault in July. The London court reached majority decisions on the nine counts, which included sexual assault, after more than 12 hours of deliberations. The verdict followed weeks-long trial which saw British rock star Elton John give evidence as a witness for Spacey.
The two-time Oscar winner had denied seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The prosecution had claimed he was a “sexual bully” who revelled in making others feel uncomfortable, including by aggressively grabbing men’s crotches. Spacey had called the claims “madness” and a “stab in the back.”
The jury had ruled the accusations were not proven after it was unconvinced by the evidence presented.
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