NEW YORK — A sex-assault civil lawsuit in opposition to actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal courtroom in New York Metropolis, a federal choose dominated Monday.
Decide Lewis A. Kaplan stated in a written ruling that the allegations that actor Anthony Rapp introduced in opposition to Spacey established a difficulty of fabric reality as as to whether Rapp sufficiently alleges that Spacey acted to gratify sexual want throughout an encounter at a Manhattan social gathering in 1986 when Rapp was 14.
The choose famous that Rapp has alleged that Spacey positioned a clothed Rapp on a mattress and briefly put his personal clothed physique partially beside and partially throughout Rapp’s earlier than Rapp “wriggled out,” acquired up, and left the premises.
In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional misery.
Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching underneath garments and no sexualized statements or innuendo throughout an encounter that lasted not more than two minutes, the choose stated.
Spacey denies the allegations.
Kaplan did dismiss a typical regulation assault allegation, saying the declare was not included in these revived by a Youngster Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 quickly allowed people to make claims in cases wherein the statute of limitations would usually have barred them.
The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors stated that they had approved police to cost Spacey with 4 counts of sexual assault in opposition to three males. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.
Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, declined remark. A lawyer for Spacey didn’t return a message looking for remark.
