SandyMaloneNew York City – Fans were shocked yesterday when BuzzFeed released actor Anthony Rapp’s accusations that House of Cards star Kevin Spacey tried to molest him at age 14.
Kevin Spacey responded to the allegations by coming out as gay, which upset an enormous number of gay people.
Spacey wrote an apology, delivered via Twitter on Sunday night, the same day BuzzFeed ran their exclusive expose.
In his response he said:
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor. I’m beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago.
But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.
This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know there are stories out there about me and that some have been fueled 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 behavior.”
Many were not impressed by the manner in which Spacey chose to deliver his apology, via social media, and wrapped in an apparent excuse of not having lived as an openly gay man.
Spacey used the post to effectively come out of the closet, announcing to the world he was gay for the first time, and implying that coming out of the closet would have somehow affected his behavior toward the 14 year old when he was 26.
Although not as prolific as Harvey Weinstein, Spacey’s dirty little secret wasn’t really all that much of a secret, at least not in Hollywood.
In 2005, Seth McFarlane made a pedophilia reference to Spacey in an episode of his animated series “Family Guy.”
The scene features baby Stewie running naked through a shopping mall screaming, “Help! I’ve escaped from Kevin Spacey’s basement!”
The 2005 clip resurfaced after Spacey’s Twitter apology to Rapp.
Netflix was quick to release a statement about their award-winning series “House of Cards,” in which Spacey starred for six seasons.
Netflix and Media Rights Capital, the studio that makes the show, issued a joint statement on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter:
“Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey.
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.”
Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Netflix had planned to cancel the series prior to the allegations against Spacey.
Many in the gay community seemed upset with Spacey’s handling of the allegations, feeling as though he used the fact he was gay to explain his predatory actions toward the 14-year-old Rapp.
Dan Savage, writer of “Savage Love” and creator of “It Gets Better,” condemned Spacey in a series of tweets.
“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,” Savage tweeted.
Actor Zachary Quinto posted a lengthy statement on Twitter, condemning Spacey’s apology.
“It is deeply sad and troubling that this is how Kevin Spacey has chosen to come out. Not by standing up as a point of pride — in the light of all his many awards and accomplishments, thus inspiring tens of thousands of struggling LGBTQ kids around the world — but as a calculated manipulation to deflect attention from the very serious accusation that he attempted to molest one,” Quinto said.
With the current #MeToo trend that has been sweeping America, many wonder if Rapp’s allegations will be the first in a tidal wave of accusations against Spacey, given that it may have been an open secret as early as 2005.