Kevin Spacey settles UK civil lawsuits over alleged sexual assault

He denies misconduct, says alleged incidents did not occur or were consensual

Actor Kevin Spacey walks outside Southwark Crown Court in London, Britain, Jul 26, 2023. REUTERS/Susannah Ireland/File Photo

Oscar-winning US actor Kevin Spacey has reached a confidential settlement with three British men who had filed civil lawsuits at London's High Court accusing him of sexual assault between 2000 and 2013, according to a court order made public this week.

Two of the claimants were complainants who gave evidence during Spacey's 2023 criminal trial in London, where the now 66-year-old actor was acquitted of all charges.

Spacey, one of Hollywood's biggest stars before he was first accused of sexual assault in 2017, has consistently denied accusations of sexual misconduct and said the incidents alleged in the lawsuits did not happen or were consensual.

A court order dated Mar 13 said that the lawsuits have been stayed following the settlement, meaning a trial that had been scheduled for October will now not take place.

Spacey's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the claimants' lawyers declined to comment.

Spacey, who won Oscars for "American Beauty" and "The Usual Suspects", was dropped from the TV drama "House of Cards" and removed from the movie "All the Money in the World" after the first allegations of sexual assault emerged.

A civil lawsuit against Spacey in the United States was dismissed by a jury in 2022, and he stood trial in London the following year, charged with sexually assaulting four men in Britain. He was acquitted of all nine charges.