Kevin Spacey has been spotted dining at a swanky restaurant on the French Riviera with Elton John and his husband David Furnish — three weeks after he was acquitted of sex assault charges against 4 men.
The Oscar winner, 64, appeared in high spirits in the corporate of the pop legend, 76, and the Canadian filmmaker, 60, each of whom testified in his defense on the highly-publicized UK trial last month.
The trio was pictured contained in the exclusive La Petite Maison eatery within the Côte D’azur, accompanied by two other adults and John and Furnish’s young children, Zachary, 12, and Elijah, 10.
Spacey, who was wearing a powder blue suit, was filmed grinning because the group was serenaded by a band playing Elvis Presley’s 1968 hit, “Suspicious Minds.”
It comes as one in every of Spacey’s pals told Each day Mail on Friday that the actor, who’s currently based in London, is trying to leave the UK, despite being cleared of the costs that sullied his name.
“Kevin was cleared, but he isn’t going back to the life-style and contacts he once had,” the unnamed friend told the publication. “He has been talking for at the least a 12 months about moving out of the UK, most probably to Paris.”
“They’ve a history of not caring an excessive amount of about people’s private lives in France, but they do have a powerful cinema culture,” the pal continued. “It could be a very good place for him to begin again — and he has loads of friends in Paris.”
Spacey was accused of committing sex offenses against 4 men between 2004 and 2013, while he was serving as artistic director at London’s historic Old Vic theater.
The “Usual Suspects” star was charged with nine separate counts — including sexual assault and causing an individual to have interaction in penetrative sexual intercourse. He faced life in prison if found guilty.
One in every of Spacey’s accusers claimed the star aggressively grabbed his crotch while driving to Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball in either 2004 or 2005.
Nonetheless, John and his husband each countered those claims in court, telling the jury that Spacey arrived on the event by private jet.
Late last month, Spacey was acquitted of all nine charges by the jury, comprised of six men and three women.
The actor told the court that any encounters with the lads would have been consensual. He said he was promiscuous and a “big flirt” who had “casual, indiscriminate sexual encounters.”
Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs, vociferously defended the star, telling the jury it was not a criminal offense for his client to enjoy casual gay sex “since it’s 2023, not 1823.”
Three of the accusers claimed they were aggressively groped, while the fourth alleged Spacey performed oral sex on him when he was passed out within the star’s London apartment.
The 4 variously described the actor as a “vile sexual predator,” “slippery” and “atrocious, despicable, disgusting.”
Nonetheless, Spacey hit back, implying that the plaintiffs were motivated by money.
Spacey told the court three of the 4 men had brought civil lawsuits against him, with one allegedly looking for payment of greater than £450,000 ($577,400).
The “American Beauty” star — who has been virtually banished from Hollywood following multiple allegations of sexual abuse — sobbed because the not-guilty verdict was handed down.
After leaving the court following the decision, Spacey told a throng of media: “I imagine that lots of you may understand that there’s lots for me to process after what has just happened today. I’m humbled by the consequence.”
The legal victory got here lower than a 12 months after Space also won a sex abuse case brought against him by actor Anthony Rapp in Manhattan.
Last October, jurors sided with Spacey, finding that Rapp couldn’t conclusively prove his claim that Spacey made an unwanted sexual advance at him back in 1986.
