Kevin Spacey is not in prison. He has never served any prison time, in the United States or the United Kingdom. The question “is Kevin Spacey in prison?” comes up because of the volume of sexual assault allegations against him since 2017, but every criminal charge he faced ended in either an acquittal or a dismissal. As of 2026, he is a free man, living and working primarily in Europe.
The London Criminal Trial Ended in Full Acquittal
The most serious criminal case against Spacey was brought in the United Kingdom. The Crown Prosecution Service authorized charges in May 2022 covering alleged offenses against three men, and added charges relating to a fourth man in November 2022. By the time the case reached Southwark Crown Court in London in June 2023, Spacey faced 12 counts in total: seven of sexual assault, three of indecent assault, one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.1The Guardian. Kevin Spacey Trial Sexual Offences Southwark Crown Court London The alleged incidents spanned 2001 to 2013.
Three of the indecent assault counts were removed mid-trial on a legal technicality, leaving nine for the jury. The trial, presided over by Mr. Justice Mark Wall, lasted close to four weeks. On July 26, 2023, after roughly 12 hours of deliberation, the jury found Spacey not guilty on all nine remaining counts.2NPR. Kevin Spacey Sexual Assault Trial Verdict London3The Guardian. Kevin Spacey Cleared of Sexually Assaulting Four Men An acquittal means there was no conviction and no sentence of any kind.
The Massachusetts Charge Was Dropped Before Trial
In the United States, Spacey was charged in December 2018 with a single felony count of indecent assault and battery. The allegation was that he had groped an 18-year-old busboy at the Club Car restaurant in Nantucket in the summer of 2016. The accuser was the son of former Boston television anchor Heather Unruh. Spacey pleaded not guilty in January 2019.
The case did not reach trial. In July 2019, prosecutors dropped the charge after the accuser invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a hearing about a missing cellphone that the defense argued contained exculpatory evidence. Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe filed a nolle prosequi citing the “unavailability of the complaining witness.”4CNBC. Massachusetts Drops Criminal Case Against Actor Kevin Spacey No conviction, and no custody.
Civil Lawsuits Are Not Criminal Cases
A point worth making for anyone searching this question: the civil cases Spacey has faced could never have resulted in prison, because civil courts hand down money judgments, not criminal sentences. Even so, the outcomes of those cases are relevant to understanding his current situation.
The highest-profile civil action was a $40 million lawsuit filed by actor Anthony Rapp in New York federal court. Rapp alleged that in 1986, when he was 14 and Spacey was 26, Spacey made a sexual advance toward him at a party. After a three-week trial in October 2022, a jury unanimously found that Rapp had failed to prove the allegations and that Spacey was not liable for battery. The jury deliberated for roughly 80 minutes.5Variety. Kevin Spacey Anthony Rapp Loses $40 Million Sexual Battery Lawsuit
Three further civil lawsuits were filed at London’s High Court by men alleging sexual assault during Spacey’s years at the Old Vic Theatre. Two of the claimants had been complainants in the 2023 criminal trial. One, identified as LNP, alleged roughly 12 assaults between 2000 and 2005. Another, GHI, claimed psychiatric damage following an alleged 2008 assault. The third, actor Ruari Cannon, alleged Spacey groped him at a party in 2013. A trial was scheduled for October 2026, but in March 2026 Spacey reached confidential out-of-court settlements with all three men. A court order dated March 13, 2026, stayed the proceedings, and the trial was canceled.6BBC News. Kevin Spacey Settles With Three Men Who Sued Him for Sexual Assault7NBC News. Kevin Spacey Settles UK Civil Lawsuits Over Alleged Sexual Assault Terms were not disclosed. Spacey continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoing.
What He Does Owe: The House of Cards Arbitration
Spacey was fired from Netflix’s House of Cards in November 2017 after the first wave of allegations became public. In a private arbitration that concluded in 2020, an arbitrator found Spacey had breached his contract by violating producer MRC’s sexual harassment policy and ordered him to pay approximately $31 million: $29.5 million in damages plus $1.4 million in attorneys’ fees. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge confirmed the award in August 2022.8Deadline. Kevin Spacey Loses Arbitration House of Cards MRC
That figure was later reduced sharply. MRC needed Spacey’s cooperation in a separate insurance lawsuit against Fireman’s Fund, from which the studio was seeking to recover roughly $29 million in losses. Under a settlement reached in late 2023, Spacey’s obligation was cut to $1 million, payable in installments equal to 10 percent of his after-tax income. In exchange, he turned over medical records from a stay at The Meadows treatment facility in Arizona, provided a court declaration, and testified at trial.9Variety. House of Cards Producer $29 Million Trial Kevin Spacey In March 2026, a Los Angeles jury ruled that MRC’s decision to cut ties with Spacey was a business decision driven by publicity, not a medical condition triggering insurance coverage, and that Fireman’s Fund owed MRC nothing.10The Hollywood Reporter. House of Cards Spacey Trial Final Season None of this carried any criminal exposure.
Where Spacey Is Now
Spacey is free, but financially damaged. In a June 2024 interview with Piers Morgan, he said he owed “many millions” in legal fees and could not pay his bills. His six-bedroom Baltimore waterfront condominium, where he had lived since starting House of Cards in 2012, was foreclosed on and sold at auction in July 2024 for $3.24 million, well below its original $5.6 million value.11The Guardian. Kevin Spacey Baltimore Home Sold He said he had come close to filing for bankruptcy more than once but had avoided it.12NBC News. Kevin Spacey Admits Handsy Says Broke Due to Legal Fees By November 2025, he told The Hollywood Reporter he was effectively homeless, living in hotels and Airbnbs with no permanent residence.13The Hollywood Reporter. Kevin Spacey Homeless Martin Scorsese Quentin Tarantino
Professionally, he has worked steadily in European and independent productions since the allegations, including roles in The Man Who Drew God, Peter Five Eight, and the Italian thriller The Contract, and has received lifetime achievement honors at festivals in Italy.14Variety. Kevin Spacey The Contract Trailer Devil Premiere15Deadline. Kevin Spacey Italian Global Series Festival Award Speech He has described his career as “rebounding.” As of mid-2026, there are no pending criminal charges against him anywhere, and no prospect of imprisonment.