Hollywood star Kevin Spacey tearful as he is cleared by jury of nine sex offences

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey had tears in his eyes as a jury cleared him of nine sex offences.

Hollywood star Kevin Spacey, 64, had been on trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of sexually assaulting four men in the period between 2001 and 2013.

After 12 hours and 26 minutes, the jury panel acquitted Spacey of 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.

Actor Kevin Spacey walks through the media gathered outside Southwark Crown Court, London, where he is charged with three counts of indecent assault, 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 between 2001 and 2005.

The American Beauty and House of Cards actor denied all charges – saying the allegations against him were “madness” and a “stab in the back”.

Jurors rejected the prosecution’s claims that Spacey had “aggressively” grabbed three men by the crotch and had performed a sex act on another man while he was asleep in his flat.

Under questioning from Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, the complainants all denied either seeking financial gain, attempting to further their career or giving false accounts to the jury.

During the trial, one complainant alleged the actor “aggressively” grabbed his crotch while he drove him to a lavish showbiz party hosted by Sir Elton John in the early 2000s.

Jurors were told Spacey allegedly grabbed another man’s crotch “like a cobra” after meeting him at a West End theatre in the mid-2000s following an alleged “barrage of vile comments”.

The defendant was also accused of having had a “panicked” look on his face after a third man rejected an alleged sexual grab at an expensive property he was staying at in the Cotswolds in the early 2010s.

An aspiring actor told the court of an alleged incident in the late 2000s where “things went further” – claiming he woke up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him.

A number of famous names were mentioned during the trial, with Rocket Man singer Sir Elton John even being called as a defence witness.

Spacey also spoke of having gifted a ping pong table to Dame Judi Dench after they worked on a film together, and told jurors about staying in Harry Potter star Richard Harris’s son’s flat in the 1980s.

Who is Kevin Spacey? Two-time Oscar winner cleared over sex offences

Kevin Spacey was one of the most recognised faces in Hollywood before his name made headlines for a different reason, after he was accused of multiple sex offences.

On Wednesday, the Oscar-winning actor was found not guilty of nine sex offences on four men between 2001 and 2013, following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The Hollywood star, 64, began his career on the stage before trying his hand at film and TV, with great success.

During his time on Broadway he picked up a Tony Award in 1991 for best featured actor in a play for his performance as “Uncle” Louie in Lost In Yonkers, and the best actor Olivier Award in 1999 for The Iceman Cometh.

He was first awarded the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1996 for his role as Roger “Verbal” Kint in the mystery thriller The Usual Suspects.

A few years later he picked up the coveted best actor Oscar in 2000 for the dark drama American Beauty, when he played Lester Burnham, an advertising executive who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter’s best friend, played by Mena Suvari.

However, he is arguably best known for his starring role as Francis “Frank” Underwood in hit Netflix political drama series House Of Cards.

He was awarded a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and was nominated for a series of Emmys.

In 2017, following allegations of sexual misconduct against Spacey, streaming giant Netflix cut ties with the actor.

The sixth and final season of the show was released in 2018 without his involvement.

Spacey was also cut from Sir Ridley Scott’s thriller All The Money In The World after filming had wrapped, with Christopher Plummer having to reshoot scenes at the last minute when he was brought in to replace him.

Born in New Jersey to Kathleen and Thomas Fowler, Spacey previously described his father as a “white supremacist” and “neo-Nazi”.

During a court appearance in New York last October, the actor was asked if he has been private about his personal life during his career.

“I grew up in a very complicated family dynamic,” he said, saying rants by his father when he was young led him to hate bigotry and intolerance.

“My father was a white supremacist and neo-Nazi,” Spacey added.

“It meant that my siblings and I were forced to listen to hours and hours of my father lecturing us about his beliefs.”

Reporting by PA's Josh Payne & Naomi Clarke