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Lizo MzimbaEntertainment correspondent
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Spacey did not attend Tuesday's hearing
An actor who claims he was sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey has reached a settlement with the Old Vic theatre.
Ruari Cannon, who has waived his right to anonymity, was an actor at the London theatre when Spacey was its artistic director.
He alleged that Spacey, who had denied the allegations, assaulted him at a theatre after-party at the Savoy Hotel, as well as at the Old Vic's theatre bar on a separate occasion.
In a statement the Old Vic theatre said: "Ruari Cannon and The Old Vic have reached a mutually agreed out-of-court settlement, the precise terms of which are confidential.
"This settlement has been agreed without any admission of liability, having regard to the costs and impact on all parties of continuing litigation. This statement has been mutually agreed and there will be no further comment."
Cannon is continuing to sue Spacey at the High Court. Two other anonymous individuals, whose allegations were the subject of criminal trials in July 2023 which cleared Spacey, are also suing him.
One of the anonymous complainants says that Spacey assaulted him while the man was working as a driver. The other said that he had gone up to Stacey's flat after meeting him at the Old Vic, and that he didn't recall how he passed out or went to sleep, but woke up to find Spacey assaulting him.
Spacey denies any non-consensual contact with the men.
At a hearing at the High Court in London, lawyers representing the three claimants have said that evidence from seven other witnesses alleging similar abusive behaviour by Spacey should be heard when the case comes to trial.
They also said all three cases should be heard together rather than at separate trials.
Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC told the court that "similar evidence" from the seven individuals showed a "propensity for particular behaviour including sexual assault".
She said that there were a number of accounts from men that Spacey "would build up something of a relationship with them and then to assault them".
She said that almost without exception the witnesses were young men who looked up to Spacey, and that Spacey had used his power and influence as a famous celebrity to assault them.
William McCormick KC, representing Spacey, told the court that Spacey's alleged behaviour was not capable of representing a pattern of behaviour because so many of the alleged facts were not similar.
He told the judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, that "it's not enough to say any [previous alleged] sexual assault can be relied upon" to state that the men's claims against Spacey should be believed by the court.
He added that it would require something that was unusual, something that was "strikingly similar".
The judge said a decision would be made at a later date.
The trials are due to begin on 9 November.
