Kevin Spacey addressed the sexual assault allegations via Twitter on Sunday. The actor issued a statement claiming he didn’t recall the incident, as he weakly apologized to Anthony Rapp.
Spacey is facing backlash by gay activists and people after he chose to come out as a gay man following the accusations, being accused of not only using a smoke curtain but also perpetuating gay stereotypes.
Spacey’s Response To Rapp’s Accusarions Was Uncall For
During the weekend, actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of sexual assault. Rapp opened up about the incident, alleging that Spacey had made unwanted sexual advances toward him in 1986, when Rapp was just 14 and Spacey was 26.
The pair met when Rapp was starring in Broadway’s ‘Precious Sons’ and was invited to a party at Spacey’s Manhattan apartment.
“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,” said Rapp.
Rapp says that he went to the bathroom before immediately leaving Spacey’s apartment.
“I have a memory of turning around and [thinking], What was that? What am I supposed to do with it? What does it mean? The older I get, and the more I know, I feel very fortunate that something worse didn’t happen.”
Several hours after the story ran, Spacey took to Twitter to post a weak apology, in which he claimed that he didn’t remember the event, while also calling it “inappropriate drunken behavior.” “If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior,” Spacey wrote.
Then, in the same apology note, Spacey takes the time to announce that he has chosen to “live as a gay man.”
“This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are other stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy.”
“I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior,” he added.
Facing huge backlash
Spacey’s statement has received huge backlash online as some consider is an attempt to shift attention from Rapp’s allegations. Also, people consider Spacey’s coming-out not only as a calculated public relations move, but that it also reinforces dangerous stereotypes that conflate homosexuality with pedophilia.
“Coming-out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president, and CEO of GLAAD.
“This is not a coming-out story about Kevin Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and all those who bravely speak out against unwanted sexual advances. The media and public should not gloss over that.”
While, unfortunately, Spacey’s PR efforts were kind of successful, as many news outlets initially reported his sexuality to the main story, people on Twitter, gay activists and celebrities have criticized Spacey’s statement.
Social media has been a useful tool for calling out sexual harassment and assault and the right way to address it, in the wake of the numerous allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and many others.
Weinstein’s downfall has prompted a domino effect, not only in the film industry but in all industries, resulting in several firings and resignations.
Spacey becomes just the latest powerful man in this lineup of alleged abusers.
‘House of Cards’ in halts
Netflix announced on Monday, that ‘House of Cards‘ season 6 will be the show’s final season. The company also released a joint statement with producer Media Rights Capital.
“Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey,” it read.
“In response to last night’s revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported.” “As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.”
According to reports, the decision to end the series was made before the reports about Spacey’s inappropriate conduct surfaced. However, the company was exploring spinoff possibilities, all of them set in the same ‘House of Cards’ universe. The show is widely credited as the one that put Netflix on the original programming map when it premiered back in 2013.
‘House of Cards’ has been nominated for 53 Primetime Emmy Awards — including five nominations for outstanding drama series. Spacey has been nommed five times for his work.
Speaking of the show, ‘House of Cards’ creator Beau Willimon took to Twitter to respond to sexual harassment allegations made against the Netflix show’s star, Kevin Spacey.
Willimon, who served as the series’ showrunner for its first four seasons, called the allegations against Spacey “deeply troubling.”
He added that he hadn’t witnessed inappropriate behavior from Spacey during his years working on the show, and said he supported Rapp.
Source: The Telegraph