Monday, October 30, 2017

Spacey slammed for response to sex-abuse allegations

The public landscape has shifted—and long-buried stories are coming out.

Anthony Rapp, known for his starring turn in the original production of “Rent” on Broadway, told Buzzfeed that Kevin Spacey made unwanted advances toward him when Rapp was only 14.

Buzzfeed wrote:

For years, Rapp, now 46, told no one about his experience, and he has never spoken with Spacey since. But as Spacey's star began to rise through the 1990s and 2000s — including a Tony Award, two Oscars, a decadelong run as the creative director of the Old Vic theater in London, and six seasons and counting on the hit Netflix series House of Cards — Rapp's frustration, anger, and incredulity with the sexual boundary he said Spacey crossed with him grew as well. Seeing Spacey now, “My stomach churns,” Rapp said. “I still to this day can't wrap my head around so many aspects of it. It's just deeply confusing to me.”

Spacey did not speak to Buzzfeed, but tweeted instead.

In his tweet, Spacey denies remembering the incident and says he is “horrified,” yet offers his apologies to Mr. Rapp. In the second paragraph he addresses his secretive personal life, confirms that he is gay and promises to examine his own behavior in an open manner. The accusations come in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which Rapp acknowledged as the impetus to come forward now. Buzzfeed reported:
Rapp said he feels compelled to come forward. "And not to simply air a grievance," he 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."
Some see Spacey’s tweet—in which he came out and apologized—as insufficient.

Some aren’t happy that Spacey seems to use his sexual orientation as an excuse for shameful behavior.

Some say they have had concerns about Kevin Spacey’s behavior for years.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote:

During a discussion on sexual misconduct on Radio 4's Today show, Victoria Featherstone, artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre, was asked if she was aware of any stories about Spacey when he was working in London as artistic director of the Old Vic. "I think that many people in the theater and in the creative industries have been aware of many stories of many people over a lot of years, and Kevin Spacey would be one of the people that people have had concerns about, yes," she replied, The Independent reported.
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Many on Twitter are also drawing parallels to the character Spacey plays on “House of Cards,” whose Machiavellian ploys always keep him one step ahead of scandal. That’s fiction, though; on Twitter, no one is buying it.

Some say the revelation of Spacey’s sexual orientation is hardly earth-shattering:

Other gay celebrities are not thrilled with his timing:

Rapp has declined to comment further after his Buzzfeed interview. In an emailed statement to The New York Times he wrote:

“I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out, to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me,” Mr. Rapp said in an emailed statement. “Everything I wanted to say about my experience is in that article, and I have no further comment about it at this time.”

PR Daily readers, what’s your take? How would you have advised Spacey to address Rapp’s allegation?

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