Several well-known LGBT+ stars have spoken out against Kevin Spacey after he responded to accusations that he made sexual advances towards the actor Anthony Rapp when he was a minor.
On Sunday, the ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ star, revealed the two-time Oscar-winner tried to sexually assault him at his home when he was 14 years old.
He told BuzzFeed: “He was trying to seduce me. 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, the ‘House Of Cards’ star took the opportunity to come out as gay in a statement addressing the allegations, which has caused outrage in the LGBT+ community.
Many have accused the 58-year-old actor of attempting to strategically deflect the allegation levelled against him by revealing he’s gay.
Several gay stars, including actress Rosie O’Donnell, comedian Wanda Sykes and ‘Star Trek’ actors Zachary Quinto and George Takei have all slammed the actor over his statement.
American actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell took to Twitter to compare Spacey to disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, claiming “we all knew about you”.
She tweeted: “U don’t remember the incident - 30 years ago? - fuck u kevin - like Harvey we all knew about u - I hope more men come forward”.
When she was quizzed by another Twitter user about why she stayed quiet if she knew about the allegations levelled at Spacey, she insisted “no one knew the details” but knew he was “a creepy man”.
Rosie’s thoughts were echoed by fellow actress and comedian Wanda Sykes, who tweeted: “No no no no no! You do not get to “choose” to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks!”
‘Star Trek’ actor Zachary Quinto, who starred alongside Spacey in the 2011 thriller ‘Margin Call’, also took to Twitter to issue a statement of his own.
He wrote: “It is deeply sad and troubling that this is how Kevin Spacey has chosen to come out.
“Not by standing up as a point of pride — in the light of all his many awards and accomplishments — thus inspiring tens of thousands of struggling LGBTQ kids around the world. But as a calculated manipulation to deflect attention from a very serious accusation that he attempted to molest one.”
He continued: “I am sorry to hear of Anthony Rapp’s experience and subsequent suffering.
“And I am sorry that Kevin only saw fit to acknowledge his truth when he thought it would serve him — just as his denial served him for so many years. May Anthony Rapp’s vice be the one which is amplified here. Victims’ voices are the ones that deserve to be heard.”
Other high-profile gay celebs praised the actor for his statement:
Another ‘Star Trek’ star, George Takei, also spoke out to slam Spacey’s “abuse of power” in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
He wrote: “When power is used in a non-consensual situation, it is a wrong.
“For Anthony Rapp, he has had to live with the memory of this experience of decades ago. For Kevin Spacey, who claims not to remember the incident, he was the older, dominant one who had his way.
“Men who improperly harass or assault do not do so because they are gay o straight – that is a deflection. They do so because they have the power, and they chose to abuse it.”
GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis echoed their views, saying in a statement: “Coming out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault.
“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.”
Major media outlets have been accused of a ‘disgusting’ portrayal of Spacey’s ‘apology’.
Reports from major news agencies, broadcasters and tabloids including Reuters, the Associated Press, ABC and the New York Daily News, led their coverage with the fact Spacey had “come out as gay”, rather than the A-lister acknowledging and apologising for the incident - albeit with the caveat that he could “not remember the encounter”.