The Kevin Spacey Trial: Unfiltered

Five years after Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct, the trial finally concluded. The lawyers deliver their closing statements and try one last time to sway the jury. Will the jury believe Anthony Rapp or Adam Vary?  Amazingly, after five years and two weeks of evidence, it only takes the jury 45 minutes to decide. What does the verdict say about how the mainstream media operates? And what does the trial of Kevin Spacey say about the state of justice in America following the rise of the #MeToo movement? Should we all be worried? Listen to the stunning conclusion of The Kevin Spacey Trial: Unfiltered.

Kevin Spacey always said he wanted to clear his name in court, but how would this intensely private man perform under pressure? He had waited five years for the opportunity to tell his side of the story. Now, as he takes the stand, he has to open up like never before. Spacey reveals how an abusive upbringing by a neo-Nazi father started a lifetime of keeping his personal life private, and unequivocally denies Anthony Rapps allegations. How will he cope with aggressive questioning by Anthony Rapp's lawyers, and will the jury be able to separate the man from the villainous roles he played? Episode eight sees Kevin Spacey tell his story.

The trial continues with Anthony Rapp's cross-examination. More and more holes appear in his story. The jury is being asked to try and square his faulty memory with often contradictory immutable facts. Anthony Rapp says “his truth”... ”his memory” is what the jury should focus on, regardless of the facts.  And what about the experts? Anthony Rapps's psychiatrist says her testing proves all his problems stem from the alleged assault by Kevin Spacey. But Kevin Spacey's experts come to a very different conclusion. And what did Anthony Rapp really tell the Buzzfeed News journalist when the story was initially reported? Is he now changing that story?

After the opening statement of Rapp v. Spacey, the trial started with a new bombshell. There were no new celebrity witnesses, but there were new allegations, allegations that could sway the jury in favor of Rapp. Kevin Spacey is accused by another man of assaulting him in the early 80s. However, Kevin Spacey's packrat tendency might just provide hard evidence of another false or mistaken claim.  Then Anthony Rapp himself is called to the witness stand. It is his chance, in court and under oath, to confront the man who he says sexually assaulted him 30 years ago when he was just fourteen. Rapp recounts his career and what it was like working as a child in an industry full of adults. He explains in detail meeting Spacey, that night at The Limelight and his experience at Spacey's apartment just a few days later. But has his story changed from his initial Buzzfeed interview? And how will he explain the bedroom that wasn't there?

The #MeToo movement made it so that victims would automatically have overwhelming public support. But even with public sympathy on their side, Anthony Rapp's own lawyers had to deal with the fact that many of his memories about Kevin Spacey could not have physically happened. Anthony Rapps's memory was wrong about so many things his lawyers did the only thing they could: appeal to the jury's sympathy. But as the trial went on Spacey's lawyers confronted him with objective facts, chipping away at “his truth” with every question. Was Rapp telling the truth or was he, as Spacey's lawyers argued, a troubled youth who harbored extreme resentment and jealousy against the actor? Listen as we reveal the truth about the Trial of Kevin Spacey using actual court transcripts.

As Anthony Rapp's court case against Kevin Spacey kicks off, Spacey's lawyers probe the Buzzfeed News article that broke the story. They knew there were major issues with the details. It seemed that Buzzfeed News reporter Adam Vary seemed to just report what Rapp told him – without fact-checking or even basic Google searches that would have told a different tale. But what else went on behind the scenes before the bombshell story was published? Was there collusion to obscure the truth? Are we talking about unethical journalism? Listen to the private emails and texts between Journalist Adam Vary and Anthony Rapp, who had been friends for 20 years. Adam Vary fought to keep the communications private, but Anthony Rapp was forced to hand them over through discovery. Find out why a federal judge said the documents raise “serious questions about the reliability of Vary's reporting and his independence from Rapp”. Listen to Adam Vary's deposition as he is asked some very uncomfortable questions. And discover why an extraordinarily attractive man may hold the key to a 30-year-old mystery.

Following Anthony Rapp's allegation against Kevin Spacey, other complainants emerged.  The strongest case was an allegation by a mother that Spacey had sexually assaulted her son at a bar in Nantucket. She said there was a video of the assault and real-time text messages. But as was to become a familiar pattern the evidence was not as strong as first appeared. What was with the strange way the case became public and where was the victim's phone that had mysteriously disappeared? Suddenly the case was starting to look very different. And what about Anthony Rapp's allegations? Did a mysterious dream really allow Spacey to fight back? And why was the key to this 30-year-old mystery hidden in an ugly Baltimore storage locker? 

Kevin Spacey's life changed forever when he received an email from a journalist in October 2017. The email alleged he sexually abused a 14-year-old fellow actor back in 1986. The allegations were strangely vague and confusing and immediately caused panic among Spacey's advisors. This was the height of the #MeToo era - they warned him.  It was no longer OK to deny allegations. You had to respect the victim. Spacey issued a statement to try and satisfy everyone and immediately regretted it. The blowback destroyed his reputation and career. But then salvation comes from an unlikely source. Could Kevin Spacey be saved by a dream?

The #MeToo movement created shockwaves across the planet. In the middle of the outcry, Kevin Spacey was accused of sexually assaulting Anthony Rapp, a fellow actor, when Rapp was just 14.  Spacey's downfall was rapid and all-encompassing. Once one of the most popular actors in the world, he became a social pariah overnight when Buzzfeed News ran a story outlining Rapp's allegations. Rapp said the assault had caused him psychological damage and that he suffered from PTSD and was seeking $40 million dollars in damages. But was there more to the story? Listen to previously sealed depositions and hear the emails and texts that witnesses thought would remain private. In this series, investigative journalist Ann McElhinney reveals the true story behind Kevin Spacey's downfall.

You know his name and you think you know his story.  Now prepare yourself for the truth behind Kevin Spacey's downfall.  The Kevin Spacey Trial: Unfiltered is the story of one of the most respected actors on the planet and reveals how his life and career came crashing down when fellow actor Anthony Rapp accused him of making a sexual advance when Rapp was just 14. The nine episode podcast, from  Investigative Journalist Ann McElhinney, interviews those at the center of the story and charts Spacey's fall from fame at the height of  the MeToo era. Using previously sealed depositions and transcripts, and gaining access to the private email and texts of those involved in the many court cases, you will learn the shocking truth about The Trial of Kevin Spacey: Unfiltered.