Anthony Rapp testifies that Kevin Spacey assaulted him when he was 14 years old
Anthony Rapp (star of Adventures in Babysitting, Rent, and Star Trek: Discovery) first came forward about Kevin Spacey's abuse in October 2017. At the time, Spacey posted on Twitter that he did not remember the incident but said that he apologized for "deeply inappropriate drunken behavior."
After Anthony's allegations, 15 more victims came forward including Boston anchorwoman Heather Unruh, who alleged that Spacey sexually assaulted her 18 year old son, filmmaker Tony Montana, actor Roberto Cavazos, Richard Dreyfuss's 18 year old son Harry, and eight people who worked on House of Cards. The Guardian was contacted by "a number of people" who alleged that Spacey "groped and behaved in an inappropriate way with young men" as artistic director of the Old Vic. In light of the allegations, Netflix suspended production on House of Cards. Ultimately, Kevin Spacey was fired from House of Cards.
In September 2020, Rapp and another victim (who was also 14 when he alleges a 24 year old Spacey abused him) filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against Spacey for assault, battery, and intentionally inflicting emotional distress. In June 2021, the second victim was removed from the case because he wished to remain anonymous and refused to publicly identify himself.
This week Anthony Rapp testified about Kevin Spacey's abuse.
[trigger warning]
In 1986, 14 year old Anthony Rapp was appearing in Precious Sons with Ed Harris on Broadway. He and John Barrowman went to see A Long Day's Journey into Night, which 26 year old Kevin Spacey was appearing in at the time. They went backstage to meet Jack Lemmon after the show and also met Spacey who then invited Rapp and Barrowman to dinner. Afterward Spacey snuck them into an adult nightclub called Limelight and then invited them to a party at his apartment that was scheduled to take place a few days later.
Rapp attended the party without Barrowman. Rapp said that after the other guests left, a drunk Spacey picked him up like a groom carrying a bride over the threshold, grabbed his buttocks, and laid him down on the bed.
He testified, “He climbed on top of me and he put his full weight on my chest, pressed into me with his chest. He was pressing his groin into my hip, the side of my hip. I was frozen. I was pinned underneath him. I didn’t know what to do." He also said, "I don’t know what I did to invite him to climb on top of me and push his groin into me."
After he wriggled out from beneath Spacey and tried to leave, Spacey blocked the door and said, "Are you sure you want to leave?”
Andrew Holtzman also testified as a witness in the trial (he is not part of the lawsuit). In 1981, he was working at the New York Shakespeare Festival and Spacey was appearing in Henry IV. Holtzman said that a sexually aroused Spacey, wearing tight jeans with a visible erection, walked over to his desk, lifted him up by the crotch, and put him on the desk. Holtzman testified, "I could feel his erection on my body,” and that he said to Spacey, "“What are you doing? Get off of me!”
Spacey's attorneys attempted to discredit both Rapp and Holtzman by pointing out inconsistencies in their testimony. Rapp said the incident occurred in Spacey's bedroom and drew a diagram of the apartment during a 2021 deposition. Spacey's lawyers produced a floor plan of the apartment and said it was a studio with no wall between the bedroom and the living room. Spacey's lawyer (who recently represented B*ll C*sby and R. K*lly) accused Rapp of being jealous and resentful that he wasn't as famous as Spacey.
Holtzman said he recognized Spacey (who was a relatively unknown actor at the time) from a picture of him in the playbill. Spacey's lawyers showed a playbill from Henry IV which had no photographs of Spacey. They also specified that Holtzman was 27 at the time, not a teenager like Rapp.
Rapp is expected to continue testifying on Tuesday when court resumes.
Spacey also faces a June 2023 trial in the UK in a separate sexual abuse case (four counts of sexual assault against three victims).
In October 2020, he and his production companies were ordered to pay $31 million ($1.5 million in costs and fees, and $29.5 million in damages) to House of Cards producers Media Rights Capital for violating their sexual harassment policy. MRC also claimed Spacey owed them millions of dollars in lost profits because the allegations hastened the end of the show which constituted a breach of his acting and producing agreements. His lawyers appealed, claiming that his behavior was just sexual innuendo and "innocent horseplay" which did not violate MRC's sexual harassment policy. In August 2022, a judge upheld the previous decision and ordered Spacey to pay the $31 million.
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After Anthony's allegations, 15 more victims came forward including Boston anchorwoman Heather Unruh, who alleged that Spacey sexually assaulted her 18 year old son, filmmaker Tony Montana, actor Roberto Cavazos, Richard Dreyfuss's 18 year old son Harry, and eight people who worked on House of Cards. The Guardian was contacted by "a number of people" who alleged that Spacey "groped and behaved in an inappropriate way with young men" as artistic director of the Old Vic. In light of the allegations, Netflix suspended production on House of Cards. Ultimately, Kevin Spacey was fired from House of Cards.
In September 2020, Rapp and another victim (who was also 14 when he alleges a 24 year old Spacey abused him) filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against Spacey for assault, battery, and intentionally inflicting emotional distress. In June 2021, the second victim was removed from the case because he wished to remain anonymous and refused to publicly identify himself.
This week Anthony Rapp testified about Kevin Spacey's abuse.
[trigger warning]
In 1986, 14 year old Anthony Rapp was appearing in Precious Sons with Ed Harris on Broadway. He and John Barrowman went to see A Long Day's Journey into Night, which 26 year old Kevin Spacey was appearing in at the time. They went backstage to meet Jack Lemmon after the show and also met Spacey who then invited Rapp and Barrowman to dinner. Afterward Spacey snuck them into an adult nightclub called Limelight and then invited them to a party at his apartment that was scheduled to take place a few days later.
Rapp attended the party without Barrowman. Rapp said that after the other guests left, a drunk Spacey picked him up like a groom carrying a bride over the threshold, grabbed his buttocks, and laid him down on the bed.
He testified, “He climbed on top of me and he put his full weight on my chest, pressed into me with his chest. He was pressing his groin into my hip, the side of my hip. I was frozen. I was pinned underneath him. I didn’t know what to do." He also said, "I don’t know what I did to invite him to climb on top of me and push his groin into me."
After he wriggled out from beneath Spacey and tried to leave, Spacey blocked the door and said, "Are you sure you want to leave?”
Andrew Holtzman also testified as a witness in the trial (he is not part of the lawsuit). In 1981, he was working at the New York Shakespeare Festival and Spacey was appearing in Henry IV. Holtzman said that a sexually aroused Spacey, wearing tight jeans with a visible erection, walked over to his desk, lifted him up by the crotch, and put him on the desk. Holtzman testified, "I could feel his erection on my body,” and that he said to Spacey, "“What are you doing? Get off of me!”
Spacey's attorneys attempted to discredit both Rapp and Holtzman by pointing out inconsistencies in their testimony. Rapp said the incident occurred in Spacey's bedroom and drew a diagram of the apartment during a 2021 deposition. Spacey's lawyers produced a floor plan of the apartment and said it was a studio with no wall between the bedroom and the living room. Spacey's lawyer (who recently represented B*ll C*sby and R. K*lly) accused Rapp of being jealous and resentful that he wasn't as famous as Spacey.
Holtzman said he recognized Spacey (who was a relatively unknown actor at the time) from a picture of him in the playbill. Spacey's lawyers showed a playbill from Henry IV which had no photographs of Spacey. They also specified that Holtzman was 27 at the time, not a teenager like Rapp.
Rapp is expected to continue testifying on Tuesday when court resumes.
Spacey also faces a June 2023 trial in the UK in a separate sexual abuse case (four counts of sexual assault against three victims).
In October 2020, he and his production companies were ordered to pay $31 million ($1.5 million in costs and fees, and $29.5 million in damages) to House of Cards producers Media Rights Capital for violating their sexual harassment policy. MRC also claimed Spacey owed them millions of dollars in lost profits because the allegations hastened the end of the show which constituted a breach of his acting and producing agreements. His lawyers appealed, claiming that his behavior was just sexual innuendo and "innocent horseplay" which did not violate MRC's sexual harassment policy. In August 2022, a judge upheld the previous decision and ordered Spacey to pay the $31 million.
source