GLAAD rips Kevin Spacey for coming out to 'deflect from allegations of sexual assault'
GLAAD is criticizing Kevin Spacey for his decision to come out amid an accusation of sexual assault.
Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp alleged in a story posted Sunday night on BuzzFeed News that the House of Cards star had pinned him down on a bed when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26.
Rapp, now 46, claimed that Spacey, now 58, then “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.”
Rapp alleged that Spacey was holding him down while tightening his grip on Rapp, who was able to get away after some time.
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“He was trying to seduce me,” Rapp said. “I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.”
In response, Spacey tweeted a statement apologizing for "what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior." He said he does not remember the encounter but is "beyond horrified" to hear Rapp's account.
He also noted that he's had romantic relationships with both men and women, and he's now choosing "to live as a gay man."
On Monday morning, GLAAD released its own statement in response to Spacey, reminding the public and the media that the focus should be on Rapp's tale of survival and his decision to speak out.
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"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."
Numerous others were quick to criticize Spacey's statement on Sunday night, including Wanda Sykes, who tweeted: "No no no no no! You do not get to “choose” to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks!"
Dan Savage added: "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."
Billy Eichner tweeted: "Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out."
See how stars reacted to Kevin Spacey's statement:
