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The trial of Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has begun in New York. It is reported by the Associated Press. A civil lawsuit for as much as $40 million was filed against him by actor Anthony Rapp. Five years ago, in an interview, he accused the American Beauty and House of Cards star of sexual misconduct at a party in 1986. At that time, Rapp was 14 years old, and Spacey was 27.
The trial is expected to last at least two weeks. Today, the jury only heard the opening statements of the parties, the plaintiff and the defendant were not present at the meeting.
Recall that the creators of “House of Cards” broke off relations with Spacey in 2017 after numerous accusations of sexual violence and harassment. They conducted their own investigation after information surfaced that Spacey had been molested by one of the production assistants. The film studio had to first suspend the shooting of the series with the participation of the actor, and then completely fire the lead actor and rewrite the script for the sixth season, which was the last (and, by the way, received mostly negative reviews). According to representatives of the studio, all these actions caused multimillion-dollar costs, which they declared in court, filing a lawsuit against Spacey back in 2019. Formally, the actor was accused of violating the rules of conduct on the site, as indicated in the contract. This included, among other things, the inadmissibility of sexual harassment in the workplace.
What started it all. At the end of October 2017, actor Anthony Rapp said that in 1986 Spacey tried to persuade him to have sex. At that time, Rapp was 14 years old. According to Rapp, in the early 80s, the actors played in one of the Broadway musicals. One day, 25-year-old Spacey invited a 14-year-old colleague to a party at his home. After the guests dispersed, Spacey laid the guest on the bed and lay down on top. There was no contact between them: Rapp managed to free himself from Spacey’s embrace. According to the actor, he decided to make a confession after a scandal broke out with producer Harvey Weinstein. In his blog, Kevin Spacey, who was forced to confess his bisexuality, turned to Anthony Rapp and apologized to him:
I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor. I was horrified to hear his story. I honestly don’t remember the meeting, it was over 30 years ago. But if I acted as he describes, I must offer him a sincere apology for my extremely inappropriate drunken behavior. I’m sorry that the feelings he describes were with him for many years…
In addition to Rapp, he was accused of a sex crime by an anonymous man who signed with the initials CD and stated that he attended Spacey’s acting classes at the age of 12. In a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court, CD says Spacey invited him to his apartment and “had sex with him.” During their last meeting, Spacey attacked the teenager, although he tried to fight back. Only one case reached the court, which did not end with anything. The hearing was adjourned due to the unavailability of a witness for the prosecution.
Source: Hellomagazine
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
