Kevin Spacey apologized to US actor Anthony Rapp late Sunday, after he alleged that the Hollywood star made unwanted sexual advances on him when he was a teenager.
In an article published by website BuzzFeed, Rapp alleged that Spacey invited him over to his apartment for a party in 1986 and, at the end of the night, picked Rapp up, placed him on his bed and climbed on top of him, making a sexual advance.
WTF seriously
Kevin Spacey came out just to get out of this situation pic.twitter.com/4WoRLHMWDD— Freaky ~ DRaval (@_DRaval) October 30, 2017
“I still to this day can’t wrap my head around so many aspects of it. It’s just deeply confusing to me,” Rapp told BuzzFeed.
Rapp, who most recently starred in the film “Star Trek: Discovery,” was acting on Broadway together with Spacey at the time of the incident. He was 14 years old, while Spacey was 26.
“I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me,” the actor tweeted late on Sunday, after the story was published.
“Everything I wanted to say about my experience is in that article, and I have no further comment about it at this time,” he added.
Spacey responded to the allegations late Sunday issuing a statement saying he “honestly” did not remember the incident and that he has “a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor.”
Kevin Spacey coming out as gay to distract everyone from the fact that he just got exposed as a child molester… what in the living hell
— Bindas Ladki (@bindasladki) October 30, 2017
“But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour,” Spacey wrote.
“As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man,” Spacey added.
In 2000, Spacey denied in an interview that he was gay, following an article in Esquire magazine in 1997 insinuating that he was.
Spacey also said in Sunday’s statement that the BuzzFeed story has already forced him to “address other things about (his) life.”
“I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behaviour,” Spacey concluded.
Spacey’s apology was met with mixed responses online from some celebrities and gay activists in the US.
Want to know why the media is giving Kevin Spacey a pass? Let me clue you in… pic.twitter.com/vAy4JClrXE
— Ryan Saavedra 🇺🇸 (@RealSaavedra) October 30, 2017
“Nope to Kevin Spacey’s statement. Nope. There’s no amount of drunk or closeted that excuses or explains away assaulting a 14-year-old child,” tweeted Dan Savage, a US journalist active in the LGBT community.
(Kevin Spacey beats a man to death with an accordion)
“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. They’re true. I am indeed an accordion player.”
— Jason Steele (@FilmCow) October 30, 2017
Actress Rose McGowan, who has been vocal on sexual harassment issues in Hollywood after accusing film boss Harvey Weinstein of rape earlier this month, said that the media should focus on Anthony Rapp’s story, rather than Spacey’s coming out.
Don’t forget this night. Kevin Spacey used gay people as a shield to divert attention away from him preying on a 14 year old child.
— Spooky X (@XLNB) October 30, 2017
“Keep focus on #AnthonyRapp BE THE VICTIM’S VOICE. Help us level the playing field,” she tweeted.
kevin spacey choosing now to come out is disgusting and insulting to the whole LGBT community
— joshua (@JPatrickG) October 30, 2017
– DPA
