Kevin Spacey argued he was ‘cancelled’ – can he now revive his Hollywood career?
“My world exploded,” Kevin Spacey told jurors as he gave evidence during his sexual assault trial. “There was a rush to judgement and before the first question was asked or answered I lost my job, I lost my reputation – I lost everything, in a matter of days.”
The Hollywood star fought back tears as he sat in the witness box at Southwark Crown Court in London, describing how initial allegations in the US in October 2017 – which were followed by those here in the UK, leading to the London court case – created a domino effect of claims, ruining his Oscar-winning career.
Jurors had to decide whether he was telling the truth, or if this was simply another performance.
Kevin Spacey trial – Hollywood star cleared on all counts
Kevin Spacey was dropped from Netflix series House Of Cards
As the initial allegations emerged, Spacey was largely shunned in Hollywood; quickly erased from Ridley Scott’s All The Money In The World, released in December 2017 – with Christopher Plummer reshooting his scenes as billionaire John Paul Getty – and axed from his Golden Globe-winning role as scheming politician Frank Underwood in the Netflix political drama series House Of Cards.
Last year, the star and his production companies were ordered to pay $31m (about £24m) to make up for losses incurred due to his sacking, following “explosive” allegations of sexual misconduct against crew members.
But separate criminal charges in LA and Massachusetts had been dropped in 2018 and 2019 respectively. In 2022, Spacey was found not liable in a civil trial in New York.
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Now, jurors here in the UK have cleared him of any criminal charges in relation to allegations by four men, who claimed the star sexually assaulted them in incidents that allegedly happened between 2001 and 2013.
The court was told that allegations by one man were “madness”, and that Spacey had consensual sexual encounters with two others. He conceded to making a “clumsy pass” at a fourth man, but said the incident was no more than this.
‘Easy for accusers to lie’ about ‘promiscuous’ Spacey, court told
Jurors were told by the star of his determination to prove his innocence, doggedly digging through old records, boxes of photos and any evidence that could disprove the claims. And his barrister, Patrick Gibbs KC, told them the star had been “cancelled” and “tried by social media”.
It was “easy” to lie about Spacey, Mr Gibbs said: “A man who is promiscuous, not publicly out, although everyone in the businesses knows he’s gay, who wants to be just a normal guy, or at least some of the time he does – to drink beer and laugh and smoke weed and sit in the front and spend time with younger people who he’s attracted to…
“It’s not my life, it’s not your life, perhaps it’s a bit of an odd life, but it’s a life that makes you an easy target when the internet turns against you and you’re tried by social media.”
‘Does this verdict allow Kevin Spacey to be Kevin Spacey?’
Now, Spacey has been found not guilty. Does this mean he can revive his career?
“The verdict is a major victory for Spacey in clearing his name,” said US celebrity lawyer Christopher Melcher. “Although he faced four accusers who told similar accounts of sexually aggressive behaviour, Spacey steadfastly maintained his innocence.
“The verdict supports Spacey’s denials of the accusations and provides a clear path for him to return to work as an actor. Producers are able to work with Spacey because he has been acquitted, which lessens their exposure if he is hired.”
However, celebrity PR and brand expert Mark Borkowski is not so sure.
“Certainly the result has put a lot of the sort of noise that’s surrounded this case behind him,” he said. “The question is, does this verdict allow Kevin Spacey to be Kevin Spacey? To be that iconic actor who has oodles of talent to regain his position as one of the A-listers of Hollywood?
“Sadly not. We live in a corporate world now and raising money, getting insurance, all those other factors exist on social media, where mainstream media has not got the same power.”
Before the court case, in an interview, Spacey said there were directors and producers “ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London”.
Despite that happening, many filmmakers might still be wary of working with Spacey knowing any project could still be “dogged by negativity”, Mr Borkowski said.
Pic: AP/Chris Pizzello
“Kevin Spacey, if he wants to move forward, will be clinging to the hope that there is a radical independent filmmaker who is fearless, who has a wonderful script and a remarkable project with a number of actors who are willing to work on the project.
“And if it gets picked up on the independent movie circuit, you know where there are, how shall we say, countries like Italy, France, around the world that don’t have the same perceptions as an American or a British audience or a German audience might have on this, there could be people who think, oh, that’s been a commercial success, let’s think about the next project.
“But it won’t be a franchise movie, it will not be Disney or Marvel coming forward to take that on. It just is something that they would feel that is too dangerous in terms of negative publicity for their brand and some of the values that they project.”
The stories about Sir Elton John and Dame Judi Dench
During the trial, Sir Elton John – who was chairman of The Old Vic when Spacey was appointed – was called to give evidence, and the court also heard tales of Spacey teaching Dame Judi Dench to play ping pong; there was no avoiding the strange and surreal world of celebrity at the centre of the case.
The timings of the UK claims mostly coincided with the actor’s time working at the theatre. He was involved from 2001, and began his tenure as artistic director from 2003 to 2015. Signing him had been quite the coup, a chance to turn the venue’s fortunes around.
Alistair Smith, editor of entertainment newspaper The Stage, interviewed Spacey towards the beginning of his tenure at the theatre, after he arrived as “a sort of Old Vic saviour figure” after a period in which it struggled financially.
“Previously, there was a real threat to its future,” says Smith. “There was talk of it turning into a bingo hall or even a lap dancing club… [Spacey] coming in brought a lot more attention to it, it brought funding, it brought sponsors, and attention in the media. And so there was, when he joined, quite a lot of excitement about it.”
Spacey’s arrival was seen as a chance to revive an important theatrical institution, and people in the industry were excited to have a Hollywood star committing to London theatre.
Things didn’t start well, but improved as Spacey performed more himself. By the time he left, the Old Vic “was financially secure and had rebuilt its artistic reputation”. For a period, he had re-established the venue as one of London’s leading theatres.
Whatever the verdict, there were accounts of ‘inappropriate conduct in the workplace’
But in November 2017, shortly after the allegations came out in the US, the Old Vic said it had received 20 allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against Spacey. Only one of the claims was reported, an investigation found, but staff were “unclear about how to respond”.
In the wake of the scandal, the theatre implemented a “Guardians” programme, designed to allow employees a confidential means of sharing concerns about behaviour at work.
Despite the star now being cleared of criminal charges in the UK, the fallout from the accusations against him has still had a “massively damaging effect” on the venue’s reputation, Smith says.
“Even before this court case, this trial, the 20 allegations against Kevin Spacey that came out of the Old Vic’s own investigation in 2017, I think had raised some very serious questions about the Old Vic and how it handled having a star at its helm over that period.”
Paul Fleming, general secretary of actors’ union Equity, says that despite the verdict, “nobody who is poorly treated in a workplace should ever be put in the position of having to bring something to a criminal trial”.
He told Sky News: “There should be processes in a workplace to keep them healthy and safe. And that duty rests with the employer. I’m not convinced, six years on, that theatre producers, TV producers, film producers, have put in place robust enough systems to prevent allegations like this arising significantly after the event.”
Mr Fleming said that there has been movement since the rise of #MeToo, but not enough. “There is no doubt that there are a series of accounts of inappropriate conduct in the workplace,” he said. “Whether they’re criminal or not has been a matter for the courts. The fact of the matter is there’s a lot of behaviour that is inappropriate, that is unsafe in the workplace, that there should be processes in place to allow people to resolve them.”
For Spacey, these claims have overshadowed his once glittering acting career for six years – but all criminal charges are now behind him. After telling the court how he lost his work and his fortune, it’s likely the star will be hoping this verdict can finally signal his Hollywood return.
UK
Software issue impacts thousands of Airbus planes – as UK passengers warned of potential disruption
Airline passengers have been warned of potential travel disruption after Airbus identified a “significant number” A320 planes impacted by a software issue.
In a statement, the plane maker said: “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.
“Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted.”
File pic: iStock
It is understood the incident that triggered an unexpected repair involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, on 30 October, which suffered a sharp loss of altitude which injured several passengers.
An Airbus spokesperson told Sky News the necessary software change would affect up to 6,000 planes.
They added that for most of the affected aircraft, the required software update would take 2-3 hours. However, some aircrafts would need new hardware to be able to adopt the required software and that those aircraft would be affected for longer.
Travel expert, Simon Calder, said the situation was “very concerning” but that he had full faith in the safety procedures of Airbus and airlines. He went on to say that “aviation remains extraordinarily safe.”
However, he warned that customers may not be entitled to cash compensation if affected by delays, as the issue would be considered out of the control of airlines.
EasyJet, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, American Airlines, Delta and Wizz Air are all affected by the issue.
Airbus told Sky News that it had proactively asked the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to issue an air worthiness directive for the affected aircraft.
The issue is affecting A319, A320 and the A321 models. The company said the issue is only affecting A320s that are in service, not aircraft that are due to be delivered.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority said it is likely to mean some disruption and cancellation to flights.
Airbus requested that EASA issue an air worthiness directive. Pic: Reuters
Some airlines will be more affected than others, Colombian airline Avianca has announced that it will close ticket sales for 10 days due to the issue.
In a statement, easyJet said: “As we are expecting this to result in some disruption, we will inform customers directly about any changes to our flying programme tomorrow and will do all possible to minimise the impact.”
American Airlines said the Airbus software issue would impact 340 aircraft and it expects some operational delays due to a major software change requirement.
The airline added that it expects the vast majority of the updates to be completed by “today or tomorrow”, and that they are “intently focused” on limiting cancellations.
Wizz Air said some of its flights over the weekend may be affected, while Air India said the issue could lead to delays.
Indigo, an Indian airline which operates over 150 A320s, said it was proactively completing mandated updates on the affected aircraft.
British Airways told Sky News that only three of its aircraft where affected and that the required fixes will be carried out overnight and are not expected to disrupt its operations.
Aer Lingus is in a similar position, with a limited number of aircraft impacted. The Airline doesn’t expect there to be significant operational disruption, but is taking “immediate steps to complete the required software installations”.
In October, the Airbus A320 family broke a major milestone when it overtook Boeing’s 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in history.
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Famous names affected by prostate cancer have spoken of their disappointment after mass screening for the illness was not recommended for use on the NHS.
The National Screening Committee (NSC), comprised of doctors and economists, told the government that screening is “likely to cause more harm than good”.
Its decision means the NHS is unlikely to offer mass screening for men over the age of 45.
Six-time Olympic gold-medallist Sir Chris Hoy, former Prime Minister David Cameron, Sir Stephen Fry, actor and author Tony Robinson and journalist Dermot Murnaghan, who have all been diagnosed with the disease, spoke out after today’s decision.
David Cameron, Dermot Murnaghan and Sir Chris Hoy were among those who spoke out. Pic: PA/Shutterstock/AP
In a draft recommendation, the committee said the reason it was “not recommending whole population screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test was that it was likely to cause more harm than good”.
Instead, it proposes a targeted screening programme every two years for men with specific genetic mutations, known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, between the ages of 45 and 61.
But Sir Chris, who confirmed last year that his prostate cancer diagnosis was terminal, with doctors giving him two to four years to live, criticised the move.
The former Team GB cyclist, who confirmed in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment, said: “I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the recommendation announced by the National Screening Committee today to rule against national screening for men at high risk of prostate cancer.
“More than 12,000 men are dying of prostate cancer every year; it is now the UK’s most common cancer in men, with black men at double the risk, along with men with a family history, like myself.
“While introducing regular checks for men carrying the BRCA genes is a very small step forward, it is not enough. I know, first hand, that by sharing my story following my own diagnosis two years ago, many, many lives have been saved.
“Early screening and diagnosis saves lives. I am determined to continue to use my platform to raise awareness, encourage open discussion, raise vital funds for further research and support, and to campaign for change.”
Sir Chris Hoy. Picture: PA
His views were echoed by Lord Cameron, who this month announced he was treated for prostate cancer last year.
Lord Cameron said in a post on X: “I am disappointed by today’s recommendation on prostate cancer screening from the National Committee.
“Targeted screening is a natural first step – but the recommendation today is far too targeted, not including black men or men with a family history, both high-risk groups.
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among British men. We are letting down too many men if we don’t push for a wider screening programme that includes all high-risk groups – and not just the men involved, but their families too, who risk losing a loved one unnecessarily. As I know all too well, prostate cancer can be symptomless early on.
“That’s why screening is so essential – catching the cancers early when they can be more effectively and successfully treated, like in my own case.”
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was treated for prostate cancer last year. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Sir Tony, journalist Mr Murnaghan and retired footballer Les Ferdinand also voiced their disappointment after the decision.
Sir Tony, 79, who starred as Baldrick in Blackadder, said: “I’m bitterly disappointed. Getting an early diagnosis for prostate cancer could save your life, but we still have no screening programme for it in the UK.
“I was lucky I found my cancer early, but nearly 10,000 men a year are diagnosed too late for a cure, and that’s just not right.”
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Why prostate cancer screening not being expanded
Broadcaster Mr Murnaghan, 67, added: “With prostate cancer cases higher than they’ve ever been, and the disease dominating the national conversation, I really thought we were heading to an exciting moment here.
“I’m so disappointed that the committee has decided not to recommend screening – it felt about time progress was made for men.”
He added in a statement shared with Sky News: “An acceptable halfway house, would perhaps be to extend screening to black men – and those with a known history of cancer in their family. But clearly a full nationwide screening programme would be best.”
Sir Stephen, who is a Prostate Cancer Research ambassador who revealed in 2018 he had undergone surgery after being diagnosed with the disease, said: “I’m deeply disappointed by today’s news. Men in the UK deserve so much better. Prostate cancer remains the second biggest cancer killer of men in this country, with more than 12,000 dying every year.
“The only way we will make a dent in that appalling statistic is by catching prostate cancer early, before symptoms appear – and the best way to do that is through a screening programme. I hope the country sees sense.”
Retired footballer Les Ferdinand also voiced his concerns over the decision. Pic: Reuters
Mr Ferdinand, whose grandfather died from prostate cancer, added: “I’ve seen members of my family survive prostate cancer, because their cancer was found in time.
“Without a national screening programme, the responsibility to find prostate cancer early and in time for a cure rests entirely on men’s shoulders, and it shouldn’t be this way.
“Black men are at double the risk of prostate cancer and twice as likely to die, and something has to be done.”
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Prostate cancer decision ‘a massive mistake’
Colin McFarlane, an actor who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, told Sky News presenter Jonathan Samuels the decision was a “massive mistake”.
“I’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but I’m not having any treatment. I have something called active surveillance, so every three months I have a PSA blood test, and then once a year I have an MRI,” he said.
McFarlane said black men over the age of 45 are at high risk, and “should be invited for screening”. He added: “I personally think men over 50 should be invited for screening, because they’re also at risk. I’m concerned now for all the black men out there who are high risk.”
NSC added it did not recommend extensive screening for black men due to a current lack of evidence and data.
The committee also does not recommend targeted screening for men with a family history of the disease, who are also at a higher risk of prostate cancer.
The National Screening Committee is comprised of doctors and economists. File pic: iStock
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would consider the findings ahead of March’s final decision, adding that he wanted to see earlier diagnosis and quicker treatment, but that needed to be balanced against “the harms that wider screening could cause to men”.
Professor Sir Mike Richards, a former national cancer director and chairman of the NSC, told a briefing that modelling on PSA shows “whole population screening may lead to a small reduction in prostate cancer deaths, but the very high levels of overdiagnoses” means the harms outweigh the benefits.
Experts are also waiting to see data from a large trial launched by Prostate Cancer UK last week into whether combining PSA with other tests, such as rapid MRI scans, may lead to recommending population-wide screening.
Read more from Sky News:
Why prostate cancer is expected to be left without national screening
Scotland to roll out ‘simple’ genetic test
The trial is looking at the most promising screening techniques available, including PSA blood tests, genetic tests and 10-minute MRI scans, and whether they can be combined for a national screening programme.
The results will be ready within two years, it is hoped.
Mr Streeting added: “In the meantime, we will keep making progress on cutting cancer waiting times and investing in research into prostate cancer detection – in the last 12 months, 193,000 more patients received a diagnosis for suspected cancer on time.
“We are also providing funding to the £42m TRANSFORM trial, which has the potential to revolutionise prostate cancer screening, cutting out harmful side effects and making screening far more accurate.”
A delivery driver who killed a seven-year-old girl in a head-on crash during a dangerous overtake manoeuvre in Lincolnshire has been jailed for six years.
Veselin Dudenski, 39, was out delivering parcels when his white Citroen Relay van struck a blue Kia Rio carrying Elsie Gascoigne in the back seat.
The incident happened in Metheringham Heath Lane, Nocton, on the evening of 3 January this year.
Elsie died the next day in hospital.
Her father, who was driving the car and had taken her shopping and to McDonald’s before the crash, suffered fractures to his breast bone, lower back and arm, including a “major injury with significant long-term implications”.
The defendant, a professional van and lorry driver for 17 years, was banned from driving for eight years during Friday’s sentencing at Lincoln Crown Court.
Veselin Dudenski. Pic: Lincolnshire Police/PA
Dudenski, who the court heard has a young child, is likely to face automatic deportation as he is a foreign national.
He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to Elsie’s father.
Prosecutor Claire Holmes told the court: “[The defendant] made a dangerous overtake of an unknown vehicle. At the time he overtook this vehicle, he was approaching a hidden dip in the road.
“There were warnings of the dip, namely a road sign and road markings. A careful and competent driver should have been fully aware of the hidden dip.”
Read more from Sky News:
Robber who killed pensioner for cottage pie jailed for murder
National prostate cancer screening not recommended on NHS
She said a warning sign about a hidden dip stood 425m from the crash site and noted if the defendant had waited to overtake, he would have seen the oncoming Kia.
The hearing was attended by members of Elsie’s family.
In a statement read to the court, Elsie’s parents said she was “bright, loving, funny and full of life”.
“Losing Elsie is not just the loss of a child, it’s the loss of our entire future,” they said.
“We have lost her laughter, her dreams and everything she would have become.”
Defending Dudenski, Charles Myatt told the court the defendant believed the road was clear as he started the overtake.
Mr Myatt said the defendant was usually a “decent, law-abiding driver” who made a “catastrophic error of judgement”.
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