Actor Kevin Spacey denied this Monday (17), in testimony about the allegations made in a civil suit by fellow actor Anthony Rapp, having made an unwanted sexual advance against him in 1986. Rapp was 14 years old at the time.
The victim, now 50, testified earlier this month claiming that Spacey, then 26 and performing on Broadway, climbed on top of him while intoxicated at a party in his Manhattan apartment.
Rapp, who was at the start of his own Broadway career, said he was able to escape, but said the experience marked him.
Spacey’s lawyer asked him on Monday about Rapp’s accusation during the trial that said Spacey was a “fraud” for not coming out as gay.
“Calling someone a fraud is, in my opinion, saying that you think they are living a lie,” said the 63-year-old. “I wasn’t living a lie. I was just reluctant to talk about my personal life,” Spacey said.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday dismissed Rapp’s complaint of intentionally inflicting emotional distress, saying he repeated his allegations of assault against Spacey.
Kaplan allowed the assault charge to continue, and it will be evaluated by a jury after Spacey presents his case and both sides present closing arguments.
Last week, Spacey’s attorney challenged Rapp’s memory during cross-examination, questioning him why he said the encounter took place in a bedroom if Spacey lived in a studio at the time.
Rapp, who starred in the Broadway musical “Rent,” sued Spacey in November 2020 and is seeking $40 million in damages for assault and intentional cause of emotional distress.
Spacey won the Oscars for best actor for “American Beauty” and best supporting actor for “The Usual Suspects,” but his career all but ended after more than 20 men accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior.
Netflix cut the actor from its political drama series “House of Cards” and Christopher Plummer replaced him in the role of J. Paul Getty in “All the Money in the World” weeks before the film’s scheduled release in 2017.
Spacey will face a criminal trial in London next year after pleading not guilty to five counts of sex crimes for alleged assault between 2005 and 2013.
Prosecution loopholes
Spacey’s lawyers have tried to poke holes in Rapp’s claims by pointing out discrepancies, including dates he claimed to have met Spacey at acting events.
Before ending his time on the prosecution bench last week, Rapp’s attorney Peter Saghir asked the actor if he was lying about his allegations against Spacey.
“I do not. It was something that happened to me that wasn’t okay,” testified Rapp.
In Spacey’s deposition Monday, he also denied the allegations made by Andrew Holtzman, who was called to testify early in the trial by Rapp’s team.
Holtzman publicly claimed in 2017 that Spacey had grabbed his crotch and pressed his body against him without his consent, which Spacey denied in the deposition.
When asked by his attorney, Spacey testified in court that he was always private about his life and upbringing. He said that his late father was a white supremacist and neo-Nazi, a fact he testified he never publicly disclosed before.
His father’s bigoted views fueled his “intolerance” of bigotry, he said, and also, in part, prevented him from publicly acknowledging that he was gay earlier.
Spacey said he struggled with his sexuality because his father used derogatory language about being gay and Spacey’s interest in theater.
He wanted fans to remember the roles he played, so he purposely kept silent about his personal life, Spacey testified.
Spacey was thrilled to testify about the 2017 statement he released in response to Rapp’s allegations published by Buzzfeed, stating that his publicity team advised him that he would be labeled as guilty by the victim if he resisted.
“I was being encouraged to apologize and I learned a lesson that is never to apologize for something you didn’t do,” Spacey testified. “I regret my entire statement.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
