Ongoing allegations against Harvey Weinstein continue to accumulate and have opened some floodgates regarding other men in power. In the past week alone, that list has grown to include director James Toback, veteran journalist Mark Halperin, and former President George H.W. Bush. Now, Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp has come forward to lodge accusations against Kevin Spacey, who he says made a sexual advance upon him in 1986 — while Rapp was still a teenager.
At the time of the alleged incident, which occurred when both actors were working on Broadway in different plays, Rapp was 14 years old, and Spacey was 26. Rapp, who is now 46, spoke with Buzzfeed News about how Spacey invited Rapp to a party at his apartment, and after all other guests departed, Spacey reportedly made a “sexual advance” on him. Rapp details his claims:
“My impression when [Spacey] came in the room was that he was drunk … 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 … He was trying to seduce me … I don’t know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually … [he] was, like, pressing into me … tightening his arms.”
Rapp says he was in shock, so he can’t remember how long the incident continued, but Rapp managed to “squirm” away, and he recalls Spacey asking him if he really wanted to leave, at which point Rapp departed. Soon after, Spacey grew to become more successful and famous, and Rapp says he lived in fear of ever having to work with him. Now, Rapp says that he’s sharing his story “not to simply air a grievance … but to try to shine another light on the decades of behavior that have been allowed to continue” because victims are often intimidated or bullied into not telling their stories.
Buzzfeed News notes that neither Spacey nor his representatives responded when asked for comment via email, phone, and letter.
(Via Buzzfeed News)