Kevin Spacey Makes Comeback With Rousing Ovation At Oxford Following Sexual Assault Charges

Kevin Spaceyrecently took to the stage, marking his first public appearance since facing accusations of sexual assault. The renowned actor received a standing ovation from the audience after delivering an enigmatic scene by Shakespeare.

His on-screen ousting came after he was accused of sexual assault, which he denied. Following a four-week-long trial in July, the actor was found not guilty of the allegations. 

Spacey, who has been seemingly absent from the limelight following allegations of sexual misconduct, made a comeback with a sterling Shakespeare performance at a theatre in Oxford, per The Guardian. 

The standing ovation came as a shock, as the allegations against Spacey had seemingly tarnished his reputation and led to significant backlash within the entertainment industry.

For his performance, the former "House of Cards" star delivered a scene from Timon of Athens during a lecture at the Sheldonian theatre, held in memory of the late conservative philosopher Roger Scruton.

According to Douglas Murray, the conservative columnist who invited Spacey to perform, Timon of Athens is about what "happens when a society drops a person for no reason." The lecture was titled The Life and Legacy of Sir Roger Scruton.

Earlier this year, Spacey faced allegations of sexual misconduct, which led to significant backlash and controversy in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

The allegations first surfaced in 2017, when actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making unwanted sexual advances toward him when he was just 14 years old. Rapp sought $40m in damages, but Spacey was found not liable last October.

The allegations led to Spacey being fired from his role in the popular TV series "House of Cards," as the prosecution accused him of being a "sexual bully." He was cleared of the charges in July after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.

"I imagine that many of you can understand that there's a lot for me to process after what has just happened today," he said after his discharge. "But I would like to say that I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts, carefully, before they reached their decision. And I am humbled by the outcome today."

"I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security, and all those who took care of us every single day, my legal team … for being here every day," Spacey added.

The "Billionaire Boys Club" actor spoke out about his prospects in the film industry, expressing confidence that directors are "ready to hire" him if he was found not guilty in his U.K. sexual assault trial.

At the time, Spacey told the news outlet that some directors and producers had expressed interest in working with him but were waiting until he was found not guilty to begin anything.

"It's a time in which a lot of people are very afraid that if they support me, they will be canceled," he told ZEIT Magazine. "But I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London. The second that happens, they're ready to move forward."

Since he was found not guilty of the allegations, the actor has not appeared in person in a movie and has only provided his voice in the movie, "Control."

Spacey recently experienced a health scare at the Tashkent International Film Festival in Uzbekistan, leaving fans concerned for his well-being, per The Sun. The actor was reportedly rushed to a local hospital for a battery of tests following the abrupt health incident, which he initially thought to be a heart attack.

"I was looking at these extraordinary murals on the walls, and I suddenly felt my entire left arm go numb for about eight seconds," he said after returning to the event. "Now, everything turned out to be completely normal, and I am of course, grateful that it's not anything more serious."

Spacey also noted that the incident brought about a paradigm shift in life: "It also made me really take a moment and think to myself how fragile life is for all of us, and how important it is that we come together, that we support each other, that we do what we can for the next generation."