Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London.
Kerr, 31, was on trial for the alleged abuse of PC Stephen Lovell in southwest London in the early hours of Jan. 30, 2023.
The incident occurred after she had been driven to Twickenham Police Station along with her partner, United States midfielder Kristie Mewis, by a taxi driver who alleged that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick and that one of them smashed the vehicle's rear window.
Kerr, who has Indian ancestry, called Lovell "stupid and white" after police were called following the drunken dispute with a cab driver.
The 31-year-old, who is one of the world's top strikers and plays for Chelsea in the Women's Super League, accepted saying those words but denied one count of racially aggravated harassment.
Her lawyer argued that Kerr was making a comment about power and privilege, and Kerr gave evidence last week that she felt police treated her differently because of the colour of her skin.
Kerr was acquitted by a jury following a trial at Kingston Crown Court. She showed no emotion in the dock as the verdict was delivered.
She gave a thumbs up to her lawyer, Grace Forbes, before leaving the dock.
Forbes said she would apply for costs, to which Judge Peter Lodder said: "I take the view that her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation ... that has a significant bearing on the question of costs."
Kerr's trial focused on the aftermath of a night out that ended with Kerr and Mewis, who plays for West Ham United, hailing a London black cab to Kerr's home.
The driver took them to a police station instead, with Kerr giving evidence that the driver began behaving erratically after she felt ill and spat out of the window.
Both Kerr and Mewis said they believed they were being held hostage, with Mewis kicking in the cab's rear window in a bid to escape shortly before they arrived at the police station.
Towards the end of a long conversation among Kerr, Mewis, Lovell and two other officers, Kerr said: "You guys are f---ing stupid and white."
Lovell gave evidence that he was upset by the remark and denied an allegation by Forbes that he had claimed to be upset simply to secure a criminal charge.
Kerr said that she had felt "terrified for my life" during the cab journey and that police did not take her concerns seriously.
Her trial has been headline news in Australia, with each day in court thoroughly dissected by the domestic media.
Debate over the charge has ranged from the validity of the allegation, to Kerr's conduct while being interviewed by police.
Her position as captain of the Matildas, the well-loved national women's soccer team, has been called into question by critics.
Kerr is the captain and all-time leading scorer for Australia, with 69 goals since her debut in 2009.
James Johnson, head of Australia's Football Association, last week declined to comment on how Kerr's return to the national team will be handled.
"We understand that there will be some disappointment out there [from fans], but what we would ask is that we all wait out," Johnson said. "What we need to do is give Sam the opportunity to go through the trial.
"Once we complete the trial, then we'll have a holistic view of what's happened."
Kerr hasn't played since sustaining an ACL injury during a warm-weather training camp with Chelsea in Morocco in January 2024.
She is expected to return in the coming weeks, in time to play for Australia in a pair of international friendlies against South Korea in April in the lead-up to the 2026 AFC Asian Cup.
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.