An actor has accused “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey of making a sexual advance toward him when he was just 14.
Anthony Rapp — best known for his roles in the “Rent” movie and “Star Trek: Discovery” television series — described the alleged incident in an interview with BuzzFeed News, claiming it happened during a party while they were both acting on Broadway in 1986.
“He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold,” Rapp said, noting how the pair had been alone in a bedroom.
“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. He was trying to seduce me.”
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Rapp, 46, reportedly met Spacey while he was performing in “Precious Sons” with Ed Harris and Judith Ivey. Spacey, who was 26 at the time, had been starring in a revival of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” alongside Jack Lemmon.
“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.”
While the Illinois native claimed he was able to “squirm” away from Spacey before things could get physical, he said there was a brief moment where he panicked.
“It was a frozen moment,” Rapp explained. “In terms of fight-or-flight or freeze, I tend to freeze.”
The NYU-trained actor recalled how Spacey made a last-ditch effort to get him to stay after the teen informed him that he was uncomfortable.
“I opened the door, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to go home now,’” Rapp remembered. “He followed me to the front door of the apartment, and as I opened the door to leave, he was leaning on the front door[frame]. And he was like, ‘Are you sure you wanna go?’ I said, ‘Yes, good night,’ and then I did leave.”
Rapp went on to say that the recent allegations of sexual misconduct and assault that have been made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein ultimately prompted him to come forward.
“And not to simply air a grievance,” Rapp said. “But to try to shine another light on the decades of behavior that have been allowed to continue because many people, including myself, being silent. … I’m feeling really awake to the moment that we’re living in, and I’m hopeful that this can make a difference.”
Spacey, now 58, addressed the accusations in a tweet Sunday night, in which he admitted for the first time that he is gay — and did not deny Rapp’s claims.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor,” Spacey wrote in a statement.
“I’m beyond horrified to hear his story,” he said. “I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.”
Spacey continued, “This story encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy. As those closest to me know, in my life, I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic relationships 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.”