Kevin Spacey has come out as gay amid an allegation of sexual misconduct made against him by Anthony Rapp, dating from when the Star Trek: Discovery actor was just 14 years old.
After remaining silent for most of yesterday, Kevin Spacey released a statement on Twitter, apologising for his behaviour despite claiming not to recall the night in question.
“I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology,” he said.
With the story having already effectively outed Spacey to the general public, Spacey then used the opportunity to explain that he had been ‘living as a gay man’ for a number of years.
— Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) 30 October 2017
“This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fuelled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy. 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. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behaviour.”
Anthony Rapp had claimed in an interview given to BuzzFeed News that Spacey had invited him to a party and seemed drunk when the alleged incident happened.
“He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. But I don’t, like, squirm away initially, because I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he lays down on top of me,” Rapp said.
“He was trying to seduce me… I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.”
Rapp said he made an excuse of going to the bathroom and then left following the incident.
The interview comes after a number of big names in Hollywood, including Harvey Weinstein and director James Tobak, have been accused of sexual assault over the past month.
Thousands of women – and men – have used the #MeToo hashtag to emphasise how common, and, in many ways, how accepted, sexual assault is.
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