GLAAD has slammed Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey for coming out in response to allegations made by actor Anthony Rapp that Spacey tried to “seduce” him when he was 14 years old.
“Coming out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “This is not a coming out story about Kevin Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and all those who bravely speak out against unwanted sexual advances. The media and public should not gloss over that.”
In an interview with BuzzFeed published Sunday, Rapp claimed that a then-26-year-old Spacey invited him to a party at the older actor’s apartment in 1986, placed him on his bed, climbed on top of him and made a sexual advance before the younger actor was able to “squirm” away.
On Sunday night, Spacey said on his Twitter account, “I honestly do not remember the encounter … but if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.”
He also said he was aware of “stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy.” He said he has had relationships with both men and woman and “I chose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.”
Many slammed his statement as “changing the subject.” TV personality Billy Eichner said, “Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.”
A representative for Spacey has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
See Ellis’ tweets below.
This isn't a coming out story about Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp & those who speak out about unwanted sexual advances
— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) October 30, 2017
The media and public should not gloss over that.
— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) October 30, 2017