Over the weekend, Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp opened up about an incident dating back to 1986, when at just 14 years old, Kevin Spacey made a sexual advance on him. In a statement to Buzzfeed News, Rapp alleges that Spacey, then 26, invited him to a party at his apartment, and then pounced when all of the other guests had left. Rapp writes that “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.”
In response to these allegations, on Sunday night Spacey released a statement of his own, claiming to have no recollection of the incident, but apologizing nonetheless. He then addressed his long-rumored sexuality, by writing, “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.”
Spacey’s statement is problematic for a number of reasons. While he did express remorse at what he may or may not recollect, by coming out as gay he effectively changes the narrative from what are very serious molestation allegations to his own sexuality. Many were quick to point that out on Twitter, such as Billy Eichner, who was perhaps the loudest voice of all.
That Kevin Spacey statement. Nope. Absolutely not. Nope.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 30, 2017
Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 30, 2017
Imagine the Astros walking off the field only to find out Kevin Spacey is gay. The shock of it all.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 30, 2017
But honestly I hesitate to make jokes because the Spacey statement is truly disgusting, irresponsible and dangerous. Ok goodnight!
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 30, 2017
Others such as sex columnist Dan Savage and CNN anchor Jake Tapper, also weighed in with their thoughts:
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.
— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) October 30, 2017
That Kevin Spacey is gay was news in 1997. Anthony Rapp’s announcement is news in 2017. pic.twitter.com/LCGprtCf43
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/924856885387304960
No one gives AF if you are gay Kevin Spacey. You are a child molester trying to Dangle shiny keys as a distraction.
— George M Johnson Garçon (@IamGMJohnson) October 30, 2017
No, Kevin Spacey. You don't get to use your sexuality as a distraction from sexual assault.
You just threw the gay community under the bus.
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) October 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/EACalvary/status/924940613749002240
Oh wow. Kevin Spacey deflecting from attempting to molest a child by coming out as gay is the absolute pits.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) October 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/edstetzer/status/924974531483185152
As both an LGBT man and a father I'm appalled by Kevin Spacey's conflation of his sexuality and his predatory abuse of vulnerable teenagers.
— Glen Mitchell 🇺🇦 🐝 🌹🌈 (@GlenMitchell1) October 30, 2017
Rapp has yet to respond to Spacey’s statement, but the story clearly isn’t going anywhere.