A male massage therapist who had filed a 2018 lawsuit against Kevin Spacey for allegedly sexually assaulting him in 2016 has since died in the midst of his lawsuit. Although the cause of death hasn’t yet been officially released, Variety says it’s cancer-related.
The anonymous massage therapist had sought damages for sexual battery and false imprisonment after Spacey allegedly groped his genitals, forced a kiss by grabbing his shoulder, and then blocked his exit when he tried to leave.
Related: Accused sexual abuser Bryan Singer says he’d work with accused sexual abuser Kevin Spacey again
According to the deceased man’s lawyer, Genie Harrison, the family now has 90 days to decide whether to proceed with the case since Spacey, against the grieving family’s wishes for time to process their grief, immediately filed a death notice with the court.
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The Hollywood Reporter states that it’s unlikely the case will now move forward as the deceased man’s heirs would “likely have to identify the deceased accuser after getting a green light to administer his estate in probate court” and their case would suffer under “the loss of the most important witness to the alleged sexual assault.”
Multiple men have accused Spacey of sexual misconduct, including gay actor Anthony Rapp who claimed Spacey propositioned him at age 14, and Richard Dreyfuss’ son who claimed that Spacey fondled him in front of his unaware father.
However, only one other man had actually pursued criminal charges, an unnamed busboy who claimed Spacey had groped him in 2016 when he was 18. The busboy subsequently dropped his lawsuit after refusing to testify.
After Rapp first publicly made allegations against Spacey, Spacey tried to turn the news story by finally coming out as gay. The tactic didn’t work and he was roundly condemned for trying to use his sexual orientation as a shield after repeatedly refusing to talk about it for his entire career.
Spacey has since been angling for a comeback despite having been dropped by his talent agency and former employers.
