A Manhattan federal jury found actor Kevin Spacey, 63, not liable for battery in a $40 million lawsuit over allegations that he made a sexual advance toward fellow actor Anthony Rapp, 50, when Spacey was 26 and Rapp was 14. 

Key Quotes: Rapp’s lawsuit claimed he had “sustained psychological injuries” of a “permanent and lasting nature” when Spacey allegedly placed then-teenage Rapp on a bed and climbed on top of him in a sexual manner. Spacey denied the allegations, and Rapp affirmed them, in court testimony. After the verdict, Spacey’s lawyer said he was grateful for “impartial jurors who make their decision based on evidence and not rumor or social media.” Meanwhile, Rapp’s lawyer said, “Anthony told his truth in court. While we respect the jury’s verdict, nothing changes that.”

For Context: Spacey’s career was abruptly cut off in 2017 after at least 15 individuals accused him of sexual misconduct during the height of the #MeToo movement. Rapp’s allegations were first reported by BuzzFeed News (Left bias). Spacey apologized to Rapp in 2017 via tweet but later said he regretted his apology.

How the Media Covered It: While legacy newspapers like The New York Times (Lean Left bias) focused on other stories, the Spacey verdict was briefly the top story on outlets like CNN (Left bias) and Fox News (Right bias). While Spacey’s testimony was sometimes quoted, AllSides could find no outlet quoting Rapp’s testimony.