In 2017, Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of sexual assault and battery for an incident that occurred in 1986, while the two were on Broadway. Three years later, Rapp formally sued him for assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress – the trial began on October 6, 2022.
The allegation, which came at the heart of the #MeToo movement, detailed a night when Kevin Spacey, who was 26 years old, ‘picked [Rapp] up like a groom picks up a bride’ before grabbing his butt and pressing his groin against his body. Rapp was just 14 years old at the time.
On Monday, Spacey finally took the stand in what turned out to be a five-hour testimony in his defense. He was seen breaking down and even weeping on several occasions as he denied any wrongdoing and opened up about the statement he released following the allegations.
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Shortly after Rapp came forward in 2017, several other people came forward with their own allegations against Spacey. He immediately responded with a statement that said he was ‘horrified’ to hear Rapp’s story and said he didn’t remember the encounter 30+ years ago.
He also used that statement as an opportunity to come out as bisexual, adding he has had sexual relationships with both men and women. Many people took exception to the statement and he was immediately met with widespread criticism as he was avoiding the real problem.
During his testimony on Tuesday, Spacey explained that he was pressured into releasing the statement by people close to him – including his publicists – who warned him that he’d be viewed as a ‘victim blamer’ if he were to push back on the allegations brought forth by Rapp.
“I was being encouraged to apologize and I’ve learned a lesson which is never apologize for something you didn’t do. I regret my entire statement,” said Spacey on Monday. “It was beyond horrifying that I was being accused of doing something that in my heart I knew I had not done.”
Nonetheless, Spacey is doubling down on his account that the incident never occurred – adding that he’s 100% confident of it. The trial is set to continue with Kevin Spacey’s attorneys calling Alexander Bardey to the stand to testify. Spacey’s team is arguing Rapp doesn’t have PTSD.
Kevin Spacey Reflects on Early Childhood Struggles, Bisexuality During Testimony
At the beginning of his testimony, Kevin Spacey cited a ‘difficult family dynamic’ growing up, which included frequent moving due to his unemployed father – who was constantly hanging with the wrong crowd and forcing his racist beliefs onto his son in hour-long lectures.
He added that his father was a ‘white supremecist and neo-Nazi,’ traits that are reminiscent of his father in House of Cards. “I have never talked about these things publicly,” said Spacey, adding his father would call him ‘an f-word that is very derogatory to the gay community.’
Spacey’s father suspected him of being gay or bisexual due to his interest in theatre growing up. And while he ultimately came out to the world in his controversial 2017 statement, it’s something he had been considering doing for several years. He acknowledged he chose the wrong time.
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It was really wrong, and really bad, and I’m deeply sorry,” said Spacey of coming out in the 2017 statement. He ‘wanted to try to do something positive’ in the wake of the allegations, but ‘it was not greeted that way’ and he immediately understood the criticism he received as a result.
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