Backlash against Kevin Spacey over sexual misconduct 'apology'
Kevin Spacey has revealed he is 'living as a gay man' as part of a statement responding to accusations he made sexual advances towards a 14-year-old actor.
"As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women," Spacey wrote on Twitter after the accusations of Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp, who is now an adult, emerged.
"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 behaviour."
However, many social media users and celebrities including Rose McGowan have attacked Spacey for his response, arguing that the timing of his coming out is an attempt to deflect attention away from the accusation that he attempted to sexually assault an underage child.
In a series of tweets, comedian Billy Eichner slammed Spacey's timing, saying he had done damage to the gay community by conflating coming out with child abuse.
Twitter user @fakedansavage also called Spacey out, writing: "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."
Rose McGowan, who has been instrumental in publicising Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's long history of sexual misconduct, adding to the outcry, tweeting: "Bye bye, Spacey. Goodbye. It’s your turn to cry. That’s why we’ve gotta say goodbye."
Rapp went public with allegations that Spacey made a pass at him in 1986, after they met at a post-show event when both performers were playing in separate Broadway shows.
Spacey reportedly invited Rapp to a party several days later, where he says a drunken Spacey placed him on his bed and climbed on top of him.
"He was trying to seduce me," Rapp told BuzzFeed News.
"I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually."
Rapp said he was coming forward in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and wanted to address "the conspiracy of silence" around unwanted sexual advances in Hollywood.
On Monday Spacey said in his statement that he did not remember the incident, but owed Rapp "the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour".
"I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years," Spacey wrote on social media.
"The story has encouraged me to address other things about my life."
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