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Kevin Spacey Found Not Guilty in 1986 Sexual Abuse Charge
On Thursday, a jury ruled in favour of Kevin Spacey in one of the lawsuits that have dogged the actor’s career, concluding that he did not sexually abuse Anthony Rapp, then 14, while both were relatively unknown actors in Broadway shows in 1986.
The judgement in the civil trial was delivered in record time. Jurors in a federal court in New York debated for slightly more than an hour before concluding that Rapp’s allegations had not been substantiated.
Spacey bowed his head and hugged his attorneys when the decision was read. He didn’t say anything to reporters as he walked out of the courthouse.
“We’re grateful to the jury for seeing through these baseless charges,” his lawyer, Jennifer Keller, said.
“What happens next is that Mr. Spacey will be proven innocent of all charges against him.” That none of the allegations were true,” she continued, referring to past sexual misconduct allegations against the actor, including criminal proceedings in England.
Rapp Wanted 40 Million from Kevin Spacey
Rapp stated during the trial that Spacey invited him to his residence for a party, then approached him in a bedroom after the other attendees had departed. He claimed that the actor, then 26, scooped him up and laid partially on top of him on a bed before wriggling away and fleeing when a drunken Spacey asked him if he was sure he wanted to go.
Spacey told the jury in sometimes heartbreaking testimony that it never happened and that he would never have been attracted to someone who was 14. The lawsuit demanded $40 million in restitution.
Rapp and his attorneys also left without interacting with reporters. Rapp’s lawyer, Richard Steigman, accused Spacey of lying on the witness stand in his closing comments to the jury on Thursday.
“He lacks credibility,” remarked Steigman. “Sometimes the straightforward truth is the best.” The basic fact is that this occurred.”
During the three-week trial, Rapp, 50, and Spacey, 63, testified for several days.
Rapp’s and others’ claims shattered what had been a booming career for the two-time Academy Award winner, who was fired from the Netflix series “House of Cards” and had other prospects dry up. Rapp has appeared on “Star Trek: Discovery” and was a member of the original Broadway cast of “Rent.”
In Massachusetts, Spacey was accused of groping a man in a pub, claims that were eventually dropped by prosecutors.
He pleaded not guilty in London three months ago to charges that he sexually abused three men between 2004 and 2015 while serving as creative director of the Old Vic theatre.
This summer, a judge in Los Angeles upheld an arbitrator’s decision to force Spacey to pay $30.9 million to “House of Cards” producers for breaching his contract by sexually assaulting staff members.
The Associated Press normally does not name persons accused of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, as Rapp has.
During the trial, Spacey testified that he was certain the contact with Rapp did not occur, partly because he was living in a studio apartment rather than the one bedroom mentioned by Rapp, and he had never hosted a gathering other than a housewarming party.
“I knew I wouldn’t have sexual feelings towards Anthony Rapp or his children.” “I knew that,” he told the jury.
Keller provided reasons why Rapp imagined or made up the incident with Spacey during her final remarks to the jury.
She speculated that Rapp invented it after seeing him appear in “Precious Sons,” a play in which actor Ed Harris lifts up Rapp’s character and lays on top of him, mistaking him for his wife until realizing it is his son.
She also claimed that Rapp was envious of Spacey’s success as a megastar while he had “minor roles in small productions” following his breakout performance in Broadway’s “Rent.”
Keller stated, “Fame did not follow him.” “Mr. Rapp’s coach has become a pumpkin.”
“So here we are today, and Mr. Rapp is receiving more publicity from this trial than he has throughout his acting career,” Keller explained. She claims Rapp is well-known now because he took down one of Hollywood’s most famous stars.
During two days of evidence, Spacey expressed contrition for a 2017 statement he released when Rapp initially went public, in which he stated that he didn’t recall the encounter but that if it did occur, “I offer him the most heartfelt apology for what would have been extremely inappropriate intoxicated behaviour.”
Kevin Spacey, wiping tears with a tissue, said publicists and lawyers pressed him to deliver a sympathetic statement when the #MeToo movement was making everyone in the industry uneasy.
“I’ve learnt a valuable lesson: never apologize for something you did not do,” he remarked.
He also cried as he regretted openly declaring his sexual orientation on the same day Rapp’s charges appeared since some viewed his declaration as an attempt to alter the subject or detract from Rapp’s discoveries.
Spacey stated that he spoke about very personal topics during the trial, telling the jury that his father was a white supremacist and neo-Nazi who berated him for being gay because he admired the theatre.
Spacey also offered the trial a taste of his acting abilities when he imitated his Broadway costar, Jack Lemmon. He has previously stated that his ability to do impressions helped him in his acting profession.
The new head of the Army has stated that Britain must be prepared to fight a war within three years.
Gen Sir Roland Walker has issued a warning about a variety of risks in what he calls a “increasingly volatile” environment.
However, he stated that war was not inevitable and that the Army had “just enough time” to prepare to prevent conflict.
He stated that the Army’s fighting capacity would be doubled by 2027 and tripled by the end of the decade.
Gen Walker warned that the Britain was under threat from a “axis of upheaval” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Among the primary concerns confronting the Britain in the next years, as noted by the general in a briefing, is an enraged Russia, which may seek vengeance on the West for helping Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how it finishes. I believe Russia will emerge from it weaker objectively – or completely – but still very, very dangerous and seeking some form of retaliation for what we have done to assist Ukraine.”
Britain’s Government Defence Review and Military Challenges
He also warned that China was determined to retake Taiwan, and Iran was likely to seek nuclear weapons.
He stated that the threats they posed may become particularly acute in the next three years, and that these countries had formed a “mutual transactional relationship” since the war in Ukraine, sharing weaponry and technology.
However, he stated that the path to conflict was not “inexorable” if the UK re-established credible land troops to assist its deterrent strategy for avoiding war.
In his speech, he described his force of slightly over 70,000 regular troops as a “medium-sized army” and made no direct call for additional resources or men.
However, he pushed the British Army to adapt swiftly, focussing on technology such as artificial intelligence and weaponry rather than numbers.
His ultimate goal is for the Army to be capable of destroying an opponent three times its size.
This would entail firing quicker and farther, he said, aided by lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
The general’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference comes only one week after the government began a “root and branch” defence review to “take a fresh look” at the challenges facing the armed services.
Defence Secretary John Healey launched the assessment, describing the existing status of the armed forces as “hollowed-out” and stating that “procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue”.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) numbers from April 2024, the Britain’s regular Army forces total 75,325 troops (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers).
That figure has been declining in recent years, as recruiting has failed to match retention. The previous Conservative administration lowered the planned headcount from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025.
Members of the NATO military alliance have agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, but several countries are unlikely to fulfil this goal.
The Britain presently spends 2.3% of its GDP on defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously stated that the defence review will include a “roadmap” for increasing this to 2.5%, however he has yet to provide a date for this promise.
Source: BBC
News
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
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