Buck, 45, who lives in Seattle, was cleared of assault, being drunk on an aircraft and damaging British Airways crockery during the flight from Seattle to London last April.

The rock star’s wife, Stephanie, sobbed as the verdict was read out. R.E.M.’s lead singer Michael Stipe took off his glasses and wiped his eyes before hugging the band’s bass guitarist Michael Mills.

Reading from a statement outside Isleworth Crown Court in west London, Buck’s lawyer said the guitarist was relieved.

“I am grateful to the court, the jury and my lawyers, to my family, friends and supporters who have stood by me throughout this experience,” said Neill Blundell on Buck’s behalf.

“I am obviously relieved to be finished here and I look forward to be returning my attention to my family, my band and music,” Blundell added for his client.

Buck, who stood with bandmates Stipe and Mills and held hands with his wife after the verdict, declined to speak, although he replied “yes” when asked by reporters if he would fly home on British Airways.

During the lengthy trial, prosecutors said Buck, who was traveling to Britain to promote the band’s album, Reveal, had acted like a “drunken lout” after consuming 15 glasses of wine on the flight.

They claimed he overturned a breakfast trolley, mistook a hostess trolley for a CD player, claimed a stranger was his wife and tussled with crew members, covering them with yogurt.

Crew members testified they pulled Buck away from an exit door after he announced he was “going home” mid-flight.

Buck testified he had suffered a bad reaction to the combination of a sleeping pill and red wine and had no memory of his alleged actions.

He said he was overcome with shame when he was told of his alleged behavior. “To me it was just incomprehensible. … I have never been in trouble before. … I will go miles away to avoid confrontation. I really don’t like it,” he said during the trial.

Character witnesses, including Stipe and Mills and U2 frontman Bono, testified that Buck was a gentle family man who did not abuse alcohol or drugs.

British Airways said Friday it accepted the verdict.

“We will continue to treat allegations of assault on our staff and drunkenness on aircraft extremely seriously and support any prosecutions,” an airline spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

The spokesman said Buck was welcome to travel again with the airline.