Will this put an end to the Kevin Spacey gravy train?

[Guest]

It looks like it took a jury not much more than an hour to clear him of child molestation:

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/20/arts/kevin-spacey-trial-verdict?te=1&nl=from-the-times&emc=edit_ufn_20221020

This was a civil case, so the bar was set quite low for whatever evidence was needed--the case only had to show 51% odds of the case being true, not "beyond reasonable doubt" as in a criminal case. Of course, just the accusation was enough to ruin the actor's career, and bring on a slew of other accusers 🤑 with $$ in their eyes. Accusation is free! Why not try it and see how many $$$ you might shake out. Who cares if you ruin someone's career. There doesn't seem to be any dis-incentive. 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Unicorn

[+ WilliamM]

9 hours ago, Unicorn said:

It looks like it took a jury not much more than an hour to clear him of child molestation:

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/20/arts/kevin-spacey-trial-verdict?te=1&nl=from-the-times&emc=edit_ufn_20221020

This was a civil case, so the bar was set quite low for whatever evidence was needed--the case only had to show 51% odds of the case being true, not "beyond reasonable doubt" as in a criminal case. Of course, just the accusation was enough to ruin the actor's career, and bring on a slew of other accusers 🤑 with $$ in their eyes. Accusation is free! Why not try it and see how many $$$ you might shake out. Who cares if you ruin someone's career. There doesn't seem to be any dis-incentive. 

  Calling this a Spacey gravey  train is a bit premature

[tenderloin]

It is rather unfortunate that we have a real "tar and feather" approach to accusations of sexual misdeeds.  Absolutely no presumption of innocence.

Many years ago, someone in my family who worked in education was accused by a troubled teen of sexual misdeeds (not rape). The accusations were never vetted or validated, but his career was ruined -- forced to resign, couldn't get another job anywhere; the stress and worry destroyed his health, and he died prematurely.  

[Guest]

1 hour ago, tenderloin said:

It is rather unfortunate that we have a real "tar and feather" approach to accusations of sexual misdeeds.  Absolutely no presumption of innocence.

Many years ago, someone in my family who worked in education was accused by a troubled teen of sexual misdeeds (not rape). The accusations were never vetted or validated, but his career was ruined -- forced to resign, couldn't get another job anywhere; the stress and worry destroyed his health, and he died prematurely.  

You can say that again. It's as if the truth is irrelevant. Even if these accusations have no evidence to back them up, "me too" often means, "Hey, I want to go for some of that money, too! Years, later, how can anyone prove my accusations are BS?"

[Bucky]

Rapp may have made the whole thing up.  But they all didn't.  

An anonymous accuser alleged he and Spacey had a sexual relationship when he was 14.

An anonymous artist told Vulture that Spacey pursued a sexual relationship with him in 1983, when he was 14 and Spacey was 24. The artist, who said he met Spacey when he was a 12-year-old acting student and Spacey was a guest teacher, alleged he and Spacey had sex a handful of times in New York, and that Spacey often promised him professional opportunities, none of which came to fruition: “He was telling me that there were producers who were really interested in me as an actor and that he wanted to get me auditions,” he said. “He hadn’t seen me act since I was 12.” The artist said the relationship ended with an “attempted rape.” Spacey’s lawyer has said he “absolutely denies” all of these claims. In 2021, the accuser was dropped from the civil lawsuit he filed with Rapp after refusing to reveal his name in court proceedings.

An anonymous man accused Spacey of “grooming” him when he was 17.

An anonymous accuser told the BBC that in 1985, when he was 17 and Spacey was in his mid-20s, he woke up to Spacey lying on top of him. The accuser said he met Spacey at a summer theater the previous year and that the two exchanged letters before Spacey invited him to spend the weekend in New York City, where Spacey allegedly put a hand on the accuser’s thigh and became touchy “in a way I certainly wasn’t interested in.” One night, the accuser said Spacey asked him to share the bed, which the accuser declined, sleeping on the sofa instead. When he woke up, he said Spacey was on top of him “in his underwear.” “It seems he was grooming me,” the accuser said, adding that Spacey eventually “backed off.”

Kate Edwards alleged Spacey pressured her to have sex with him when she was 17.

London performing-arts teacher Kate Edwards told the BBC Spacey pressured her into having sex in 1986, when she was a 17-year-old assistant on a production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night that starred Spacey. Edwards said Spacey invited her to a birthday party in his flat; when she arrived, the flat was empty, and the pair consensually kissed before Spacey allegedly escalated the situation. “I said, ‘I want to go home and change.’ I felt pressured, and it became clear his intention was to have sex with me,” said Edwards. “He became cold and said, ‘Find your own way.’”

Justin Dawes claimed Spacey gave him alcohol and played gay pornography when he was 16.

Justin Dawes told BuzzFeed Spacey made sexual advances in 1988, when Dawes was 16 and Spacey was 29. Spacey allegedly invited Dawes — then a high-school junior interested in acting — and a male friend to his apartment in New Haven, Connecticut, under the guise of watching Chinatown, but instead gave the boys cocktails and played gay pornography. “He knew that I was in high school. It was pretty clear,” said Dawes, who said he left with his friend and qualified that the situation felt “sleazy and manipulative” but not “intimidating or pushy.” After Dawes testified in a deposition for Rapp’s lawsuit, Spacey filed a motion demanding that Dawes reveal the name of his friend, which a federal court judge granted earlier this year.

An anonymous accuser alleged Spacey sexually assaulted him in West Hollywood.

In 2018, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department announced that it was investigating the allegations of an anonymous accuser who claimed Spacey sexually assaulted him in West Hollywood in 1992. Prosecutors ultimately decided not to file criminal charges in connection with the case, which they said fell outside the statute of limitations.

An anonymous American filmmaker said Spacey “sexually harassed him” on a movie set.

Per the BBC, an anonymous American filmmaker alleged Spacey sexually harassed him on the set of Albino Alligator in 1995, when he was a 22-year-old junior crew member. The filmmaker alleged that Spacey — the director of the film — sat beside him on one of the last days of filming and “put his hand on my thigh and moved it towards my inner thigh.” He added, “I was getting the attention of the most powerful person on the movie set, and I wanted to work in Hollywood. But it was an interest that made me feel totally uneasy, uncomfortable, confused … I felt harassed, sexually harassed.”

Mark Ebenhoch claimed Spacey’s assistant asked him to “engage in a sexual act” with Spacey.

Mark Ebenhoch, a military adviser on Spacey’s 1995 film Outbreak, claimed Spacey referred to the young male assistants on set as his “harem,” and that one of Spacey’s assistants once asked him to come to his trailer and “flat out engage in a sexual act” with Spacey. Ebenhoch said he declined, telling BuzzFeed the incident “blew me away.”

An anonymous journalist said Spacey groped his genitals at a British club.

An anonymous journalist who interviewed Spacey for a London magazine in the early aughts told BuzzFeed Spacey groped him at the club they went to after the interview. “He just kept reaching between my legs and, you know, just grabbing my dick,” the journalist said, adding that when he tried to leave, he said Spacey started “screaming at me with fury because I didn’t want to fuck him.” “He was actually saying that I did want to and I was a coward. That was a tactic. It was unbelievable.”

Filmmaker Tony Montana said Spacey “grabbed my whole package” at a Los Angeles bar.

Filmmaker Tony Montana told Radar Online Spacey groped him at a Los Angeles bar in 2003. “I went up to order a drink and Kevin came up to me and put his arm around me,” Montana said. “He was telling me to come with him, to leave the bar. He put his hand on my crotch forcefully and grabbed my whole package,” said Montana, who claimed an intoxicated Spacey told him: “This designates ownership.”

British bartender Kris Nixon claimed Spacey “grabbed my penis” during an after-party.

In a video interview with BBC, Kris Nixon, who met Spacey while bartending near the Old Vic Theater, told the BBC that Spacey groped him during an after-party at his penthouse in 2007. “I was sitting on a sofa with my then-sort-of-girlfriend,” Nixon recalled. “She got up to get a drink, and Kevin Spacey sat down on the sofa next to me. He asked if that was my girlfriend, then reached over, grabbed my penis, and said, ‘I could fuck you better than her.’” Two weeks later, Spacey allegedly propositioned Nixon again, grabbing his waistband at the bar and offering to “make it up to him.”

Norwegian writer Ari Behn said Spacey grabbed him “by the balls” at a Nobel Peace Prize Concert after-party.

In an interview with Norwegian radio network P4, writer Ari Behn said Spacey groped him at an after-party in 2007 following the 14th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which Spacey hosted with Uma Thurman. Behn, who was then married to Princess Martha Louise, said Spacey, who was seated next to him, asked him to go out for a cigarette before reaching under the table and grabbing him “by the balls.” Behn said he declined, telling Spacey, “Eh, maybe later.” Behn died of suicide in 2019, at the age of 47.

Actor Harry Dreyfuss said Spacey groped him when he was 18.

In an article for BuzzFeed, Harry Dreyfuss, son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, called Spacey a “sexual predator” and claimed Spacey groped him in 2008, when he was 18. Per Harry, the alleged incident took place during a rehearsal at Spacey’s apartment, with Spacey surreptitiously touching his thigh and crotch without his consent while Harry’s father was in the room. “What disgusts me about Kevin was how safe he did feel,” Harry wrote. “He knew he could fondle me in a room with my father and that I wouldn’t say a word. He knew I wouldn’t have had the guts. And I didn’t.”

An anonymous accuser said he woke up to Spacey performing oral sex on him.

Per Variety, in 2017, Scotland Yard launched an investigation into allegations by an anonymous man who alleged Spacey sexually assaulted him in 2008, when he was 23. According to the man’s account — first reported by the Sun — he asked Spacey, then the artistic director of the Old Vic Theater, for help with his career, and Spacey invited him to his home in South London. The man said the two smoked marijuana and passed out, and that he woke up to Spacey performing oral sex on him. He said he told Spacey to stop; Spacey allegedly told him not to tell anyone what happened. In May 2019, the Met’s Complex Case team interviewed Spacey in the U.S. in connection with this allegation and other claims of sexual assault lodged with the Scotland Yard, though Spacey was not arrested at the time.

British bartender Daniel Beal claimed Spacey flashed his genitals at him.

Daniel Beal, a British bartender, told the Sun that in 2010, Spacey followed him outside on his cigarette break, flashed his genitals, and told the then-19-year-old, “It’s big, isn’t it?” Once they were back in the bar, Beal said, Spacey gave him the Swiss watch he was wearing. “Looking back, I realize it was to keep me quiet,” said Beal.

At least 20 men from the Old Vic Theatre alleged inappropriate sexual behavior by Spacey.

In a Facebook post in 2017, Mexican actor Robert Cavazos said Spacey groped him at the bar of the Old Vic Theater, though he did not specify when the alleged incident occurred. “There are many of us who have a ‘Kevin Spacey story,’” Cavazos wrote. “It seems like you only needed to be a man under 30 for him to feel free to touch us.” By November 2017, at least 20 men associated with the Old Vic alleged inappropriate sexual behavior by Spacey, both during his time as the theater’s artistic director and before. The theater publicly apologized, calling the allegations “a shock and disturbing surprise,” and had a law firm investigate the allegations, none of which reportedly involved minors, and concluded that Spacey’s “stardom and status … may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help.” The report also said that Spacey hadn’t participated in the investigation and that independent allegations could not be verified.

News anchor Heather Unruh claimed Spacey sexually assaulted her 18-year-old son.

During a press conference in Boston in 2017, former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh claimed her son was sexually assaulted by Spacey at a Nantucket bar in 2016, when he would have been 18. According to Unruh’s account, Spacey bought her son “drink after drink after drink” at the restaurant before allegedly reaching inside his pants and grabbing his genitals. In 2018, the Boston Globe reported that Spacey faced one charge of indecent assault and battery in relation to the incident, the first criminal charge he faced since the allegations began. Spacey pleaded not guilty, with his lawyer calling the interaction “consensual flirtation” and alleging that the accuser “concocted and exaggerated elements of a story to impress his friends.”

Following the Globe’s report, Spacey posted a video to his Twitter account, “Let Me Be Frank,” in which he assumed the voice of his House of Cards character Frank Underwood and appeared to address the allegations, telling viewers, “If I didn’t pay the price for the things we both know I did, I’m certainly not going to pay the price for the things I didn’t do.” In 2019, Unruh’s son dropped his civil lawsuit against Spacey six days after filing it. Later that month, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped the sexual-assault charge against Spacey after Unruh’s son refused to testify about a missing smartphone the defense had sought as evidence.

An anonymous massage therapist alleged Spacey forced him to grab his genitals.

In September 2018, an anonymous massage therapist who said Spacey offered him oral sex and forced him to grope his genitals twice during a 2016 session at the actor’s home in Malibu sued Spacey for battery, assault, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Spacey asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit because of the plaintiff’s concealed identity, but a federal judge moved it forward, with all parties agreeing that the case would proceed to trial. In September 2019, the accuser died, and his estate later dismissed the suit.

House of Cards staffers claimed Spacey created a “toxic environment for young men.”

In 2017, eight House of Cards staffers told CNN that Spacey had behaved inappropriately with them, with one production assistant alleging that Spacey put his hands down the assistant’s pants while driving. “He was a man in a very powerful position on the show and I was someone very low on the totem pole and on the food chain there,” the anonymous assistant said. “It was a toxic environment for young men who had to interact with him at all in the crew, cast, background actors.” In 2020, a private arbitrator ruled that Spacey must pay $31 million to MRC, the studio behind the show, for breach of contract in relation to the allegations. MRC claimed that measures taken after Spacey’s firing — including writing off his character, stopping production of the show’s sixth season, and shortening it to meet deadlines — spurred exorbitant losses, and it petitioned a California court to confirm the arbitrator’s ruling in 2020. Although Spacey’s attorneys have tried to throw out the case, arguing that his behavior with crew members did not go beyond “sexual innuendos” and “innocent horseplay,” a judge ruled in MRC’s favor on Thursday, saying that Spacey’s attorneys had failed “to demonstrate that this is even a close case.” NBC reports that Spacey has denied the allegations through his attorneys and a spokesperson. 

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Bucky

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, Bucky said:

...An anonymous accuser alleged Spacey sexually assaulted him in West Hollywood.

In 2018, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department announced that it was investigating the allegations of an anonymous accuser who claimed Spacey sexually assaulted him in West Hollywood in 1992...

...In 2019, Unruh’s son dropped his civil lawsuit against Spacey six days after filing it. Later that month, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped the sexual-assault charge against Spacey after Unruh’s son refused to testify about a missing smartphone the defense had sought as evidence....

 

Etc., Etc.  The Sheriff's Department was investigating allegations of an anonymous accuser? What more information could you possibly need? Get out the chopping block and sharpen the axe! Guilty, guilty, guilty!

Edited October 21, 2022 by Unicorn

[+ WilliamM]

Yikes Al fourteen men who accused him, are liars yet Kevin Spacey  is as honest as Jesus

Edited October 21, 2022 by WilliamM

[Stormy]

6 hours ago, tenderloin said:

It is rather unfortunate that we have a real "tar and feather" approach to accusations of sexual misdeeds.  Absolutely no presumption of innocence.

Many years ago, someone in my family who worked in education was accused by a troubled teen of sexual misdeeds (not rape). The accusations were never vetted or validated, but his career was ruined -- forced to resign, couldn't get another job anywhere; the stress and worry destroyed his health, and he died prematurely.  

That’s terrible.  I agree too many assume the accused is guilty without knowing all the facts.  I don’t like this pile on accusations of Kevin Spaceys sexual advances.  I think they have exaggerated what really occurred 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, WilliamM said:

Yikes Al fourteen men who accused him, are liars yet Kevin Spacey  is as honest as Jesus

So far, not a single accusation of him has held water, not even in civil court. Mysteriously, these accusers all came up with their accusations at the same time, when they thought they smelled blood in the water. When the facts are looked into, however, cell phone records, etc., seem to tell another story. We live in an age when there are cameras and cell phones everywhere. Lies are difficult to substantiate. But unfounded accusations can still destroy careers. 

[+ WilliamM]

1 hour ago, Unicorn said:

So far, not a single accusation of him has held water, not even in civil court. Mysteriously, these accusers all came up with their accusations at the same time, when they thought they smelled blood in the water. When the facts are looked into, however, cell phone records, etc., seem to tell another story. We live in an age when there are cameras and cell phones everywhere. Lies are difficult to substantiate. But unfounded accusations can still destroy careers. 

Sorry,, he has many accusers in London where he held a high  position in the theater world. Think the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

[CuriousByNature]

What I'm writing here is not about the Spacey situation per se, but instead, is more of a general observaton.  I think one of the biggest changes over the past number of years is that society no longer distinguishes as precisely between subjective and objective assessments of allegations.  A person may subjectively feel that they experienced abuse, and be badly traumatized by it.  But from an objective point of view the incident in question may not actually amount to abuse. 

A person's subjective assertion of abuse may be because they had been objectively abused by someone else in the past, or for any number of other reasons.

I know someone who once accused a coach of sexual abuse because his arm brushed against hers as they put gym equipment away with a number of other students.  That was the complete extent of the interaction.  There was no prior history or context that would suggest a sexual component. On an objective level, a reasonable person would not see this as a sexual act given this context. 

Nevertheless she missed a month of school because she was certain that the coach was signalling his desire for sex with her by the accidental brush between their arms.  Her trauma was very real, but objectively, no act of abuse occurred.  Her allegations ultimately had no objective foundation and there were no repurcussions for the coach.

But that was almost 3 decades ago and long before social media.  Had this happened today it is possible the coach's career could have been ruined because there now tends to be a lack of objectivity in thinking, at least outside of the Courts.

Every allegation of abuse must be taken seriously and be investigated properly.  But it does not help anyone if a subjective assessment based on a person's feelings becomes the benchmark, or if it represents the extent of society's willingness and ability to think critically.  It is far too low a bar to set, especially for matters with potentially significant and life-altering consequences.

Edited October 22, 2022 by CuriousByNature
Added info

[Guest]

I agree with @CuriousByNature. If you look at some of the accusations in @Bucky's parade of accusations, some are along the lines of 

"An anonymous American filmmaker said Spacey “sexually harassed him” on a movie set.

Per the BBC, an anonymous American filmmaker alleged Spacey sexually harassed him on the set of Albino Alligator in 1995, when he was a 22-year-old junior crew member. The filmmaker alleged that Spacey — the director of the film — sat beside him on one of the last days of filming and “put his hand on my thigh and moved it towards my inner thigh.” He added, “I was getting the attention of the most powerful person on the movie set, and I wanted to work in Hollywood. But it was an interest that made me feel totally uneasy, uncomfortable, confused … I felt harassed, sexually harassed.”

For crying out loud, if you're still traumatized by someone putting his hand on your thigh 17 years later, you have psychiatric issues which weren't caused by Spacey. Of course, how can one prove or disprove such an accusation? I can't see how the accuser can prove it did happen, nor can Spacey prove it didn't happen (which seems to be the standard these days). Even if it did happen, should this be a compensable injury? Some people need to get a grip--and not of Spacey's money.

 

[+ WilliamM]

3 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I agree with @CuriousByNature. If you look at some of the accusations in @Bucky's parade of accusations, some are along the lines of 

"An anonymous American filmmaker said Spacey “sexually harassed him” on a movie set.

Per the BBC, an anonymous American filmmaker alleged Spacey sexually harassed him on the set of Albino Alligator in 1995, when he was a 22-year-old junior crew member. The filmmaker alleged that Spacey — the director of the film — sat beside him on one of the last days of filming and “put his hand on my thigh and moved it towards my inner thigh.” He added, “I was getting the attention of the most powerful person on the movie set, and I wanted to work in Hollywood. But it was an interest that made me feel totally uneasy, uncomfortable, confused … I felt harassed, sexually harassed.”

For crying out loud, if you're still traumatized by someone putting his hand on your thigh 17 years later, you have psychiatric issues which weren't caused by Spacey. Of course, how can one prove or disprove such an accusation? I can't see how the accuser can prove it did happen, nor can Spacey prove it didn't happen (which seems to be the standard these days). Even if it did happen, should this be a compensable injury? Some people need to get a grip--and not of Spacey's money.

 

Again a dozen other young men have accused  Kevin 

This is the first case that has gone to court.

[CuriousByNature]

3 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I agree with @CuriousByNature. If you look at some of the accusations in @Bucky's parade of accusations, some are along the lines of 

"An anonymous American filmmaker said Spacey “sexually harassed him” on a movie set.

Per the BBC, an anonymous American filmmaker alleged Spacey sexually harassed him on the set of Albino Alligator in 1995, when he was a 22-year-old junior crew member. The filmmaker alleged that Spacey — the director of the film — sat beside him on one of the last days of filming and “put his hand on my thigh and moved it towards my inner thigh.” He added, “I was getting the attention of the most powerful person on the movie set, and I wanted to work in Hollywood. But it was an interest that made me feel totally uneasy, uncomfortable, confused … I felt harassed, sexually harassed.”

For crying out loud, if you're still traumatized by someone putting his hand on your thigh 17 years later, you have psychiatric issues which weren't caused by Spacey. Of course, how can one prove or disprove such an accusation? I can't see how the accuser can prove it did happen, nor can Spacey prove it didn't happen (which seems to be the standard these days). Even if it did happen, should this be a compensable injury? Some people need to get a grip--and not of Spacey's money.

 

Interestingly, I think the example you have provided could be objectively seen as an assault - albeit one that may not cause continuing trauma for most people.  The inner thigh could be considered an erogenous zone, and the question becomes why an individual would be moving their hand to that area.  Given the power differential between the two, it is possible that a court would make a finding that an assault took place.  More of the context might be needed for that finding to be made - and this is on the balance of probabilities rather than the criminal standard of 'beyond a reasonable doubt'.  The ongoing effects of experiencing an incident like this would depend on the individual's own history - it could be quite traumatic if that person had been sexually abused in the past, for instance.  And the degree of trauma would need to be determined subjectively, since it affects each person so differently.  

[caliguy]

 

[Mercury]

I agree with @CuriousByNatureand others that these accusations are always tricky. Everyone will have their opinion of what occurred, but a lot of people misunderstand the definition of key terms. At work, I just had a complaint by an employee who accused another of bullying, harassment and hostile work environment. In most companies, these terms are a red flag and require immediate attention. However, I believe the average person doesn’t understand the definition of those Terms and how HR interprets them. Also, in some states, the complainant needs to prove to the court beyond a reasonable doubt that such allegations occurred. 
 

However, with repetitive patterns, I do believe the phrase, “Where there is smoke, there is fire”. 

[MscleLovr]

After reading the arguments in this thread, I understand completely why nowadays no intelligent and caring person would ever comfort a crying, or slightly hurt, child by putting his/her arm around them. 
 

Too often, the mere accusation of abuse is treated as proof. And I strongly reject the idea that multiple accusers make a strong case; to me, that’s the mentality of a lynch-mob.

In the UK in recent years, the Police spent a huge amount of money and resources investigating detailed claims of a pedophile sex-ring involving various famous figures. The media were complicit in building the allegations into a frenzy of accusations. The main complainant was termed a “fantasist” by the judge and he is now serving a prison term for his false allegations. Various other people came forward to support the allegations and said they were abused - none of their claims were upheld - and some claimed significant financial compensation from their alleged attackers.
 

One such man (a famous singer, widely thought to be gay) had his home ransacked by the Police and the raid was covered and televised by the BBC. The Police found that on the dates of the sex attacks in the UK alleged by the complainant, the singer was actually overseas performing on tour. The Police had to apologise (and it’s believed, pay compensation with a NDA) to the singer. At first, the BBC denied any wrong-doing but the singer sued at great expense and won in Court. The compensation he was awarded, along with his legal expenses, cost the BBC millions. 

[Phil_musc]

22 hours ago, Bucky said:

Rapp may have made the whole thing up.  But they all didn't.  

An anonymous accuser alleged he and Spacey had a sexual relationship when he was 14.

An anonymous artist told Vulture that Spacey pursued a sexual relationship with him in 1983, when he was 14 and Spacey was 24. The artist, who said he met Spacey when he was a 12-year-old acting student and Spacey was a guest teacher, alleged he and Spacey had sex a handful of times in New York, and that Spacey often promised him professional opportunities, none of which came to fruition: “He was telling me that there were producers who were really interested in me as an actor and that he wanted to get me auditions,” he said. “He hadn’t seen me act since I was 12.” The artist said the relationship ended with an “attempted rape.” Spacey’s lawyer has said he “absolutely denies” all of these claims. In 2021, the accuser was dropped from the civil lawsuit he filed with Rapp after refusing to reveal his name in court proceedings.

An anonymous man accused Spacey of “grooming” him when he was 17.

An anonymous accuser told the BBC that in 1985, when he was 17 and Spacey was in his mid-20s, he woke up to Spacey lying on top of him. The accuser said he met Spacey at a summer theater the previous year and that the two exchanged letters before Spacey invited him to spend the weekend in New York City, where Spacey allegedly put a hand on the accuser’s thigh and became touchy “in a way I certainly wasn’t interested in.” One night, the accuser said Spacey asked him to share the bed, which the accuser declined, sleeping on the sofa instead. When he woke up, he said Spacey was on top of him “in his underwear.” “It seems he was grooming me,” the accuser said, adding that Spacey eventually “backed off.”

Kate Edwards alleged Spacey pressured her to have sex with him when she was 17.

London performing-arts teacher Kate Edwards told the BBC Spacey pressured her into having sex in 1986, when she was a 17-year-old assistant on a production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night that starred Spacey. Edwards said Spacey invited her to a birthday party in his flat; when she arrived, the flat was empty, and the pair consensually kissed before Spacey allegedly escalated the situation. “I said, ‘I want to go home and change.’ I felt pressured, and it became clear his intention was to have sex with me,” said Edwards. “He became cold and said, ‘Find your own way.’”

Justin Dawes claimed Spacey gave him alcohol and played gay pornography when he was 16.

Justin Dawes told BuzzFeed Spacey made sexual advances in 1988, when Dawes was 16 and Spacey was 29. Spacey allegedly invited Dawes — then a high-school junior interested in acting — and a male friend to his apartment in New Haven, Connecticut, under the guise of watching Chinatown, but instead gave the boys cocktails and played gay pornography. “He knew that I was in high school. It was pretty clear,” said Dawes, who said he left with his friend and qualified that the situation felt “sleazy and manipulative” but not “intimidating or pushy.” After Dawes testified in a deposition for Rapp’s lawsuit, Spacey filed a motion demanding that Dawes reveal the name of his friend, which a federal court judge granted earlier this year.

An anonymous accuser alleged Spacey sexually assaulted him in West Hollywood.

In 2018, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department announced that it was investigating the allegations of an anonymous accuser who claimed Spacey sexually assaulted him in West Hollywood in 1992. Prosecutors ultimately decided not to file criminal charges in connection with the case, which they said fell outside the statute of limitations.

An anonymous American filmmaker said Spacey “sexually harassed him” on a movie set.

Per the BBC, an anonymous American filmmaker alleged Spacey sexually harassed him on the set of Albino Alligator in 1995, when he was a 22-year-old junior crew member. The filmmaker alleged that Spacey — the director of the film — sat beside him on one of the last days of filming and “put his hand on my thigh and moved it towards my inner thigh.” He added, “I was getting the attention of the most powerful person on the movie set, and I wanted to work in Hollywood. But it was an interest that made me feel totally uneasy, uncomfortable, confused … I felt harassed, sexually harassed.”

Mark Ebenhoch claimed Spacey’s assistant asked him to “engage in a sexual act” with Spacey.

Mark Ebenhoch, a military adviser on Spacey’s 1995 film Outbreak, claimed Spacey referred to the young male assistants on set as his “harem,” and that one of Spacey’s assistants once asked him to come to his trailer and “flat out engage in a sexual act” with Spacey. Ebenhoch said he declined, telling BuzzFeed the incident “blew me away.”

An anonymous journalist said Spacey groped his genitals at a British club.

An anonymous journalist who interviewed Spacey for a London magazine in the early aughts told BuzzFeed Spacey groped him at the club they went to after the interview. “He just kept reaching between my legs and, you know, just grabbing my dick,” the journalist said, adding that when he tried to leave, he said Spacey started “screaming at me with fury because I didn’t want to fuck him.” “He was actually saying that I did want to and I was a coward. That was a tactic. It was unbelievable.”

Filmmaker Tony Montana said Spacey “grabbed my whole package” at a Los Angeles bar.

Filmmaker Tony Montana told Radar Online Spacey groped him at a Los Angeles bar in 2003. “I went up to order a drink and Kevin came up to me and put his arm around me,” Montana said. “He was telling me to come with him, to leave the bar. He put his hand on my crotch forcefully and grabbed my whole package,” said Montana, who claimed an intoxicated Spacey told him: “This designates ownership.”

British bartender Kris Nixon claimed Spacey “grabbed my penis” during an after-party.

In a video interview with BBC, Kris Nixon, who met Spacey while bartending near the Old Vic Theater, told the BBC that Spacey groped him during an after-party at his penthouse in 2007. “I was sitting on a sofa with my then-sort-of-girlfriend,” Nixon recalled. “She got up to get a drink, and Kevin Spacey sat down on the sofa next to me. He asked if that was my girlfriend, then reached over, grabbed my penis, and said, ‘I could fuck you better than her.’” Two weeks later, Spacey allegedly propositioned Nixon again, grabbing his waistband at the bar and offering to “make it up to him.”

Norwegian writer Ari Behn said Spacey grabbed him “by the balls” at a Nobel Peace Prize Concert after-party.

In an interview with Norwegian radio network P4, writer Ari Behn said Spacey groped him at an after-party in 2007 following the 14th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which Spacey hosted with Uma Thurman. Behn, who was then married to Princess Martha Louise, said Spacey, who was seated next to him, asked him to go out for a cigarette before reaching under the table and grabbing him “by the balls.” Behn said he declined, telling Spacey, “Eh, maybe later.” Behn died of suicide in 2019, at the age of 47.

Actor Harry Dreyfuss said Spacey groped him when he was 18.

In an article for BuzzFeed, Harry Dreyfuss, son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, called Spacey a “sexual predator” and claimed Spacey groped him in 2008, when he was 18. Per Harry, the alleged incident took place during a rehearsal at Spacey’s apartment, with Spacey surreptitiously touching his thigh and crotch without his consent while Harry’s father was in the room. “What disgusts me about Kevin was how safe he did feel,” Harry wrote. “He knew he could fondle me in a room with my father and that I wouldn’t say a word. He knew I wouldn’t have had the guts. And I didn’t.”

An anonymous accuser said he woke up to Spacey performing oral sex on him.

Per Variety, in 2017, Scotland Yard launched an investigation into allegations by an anonymous man who alleged Spacey sexually assaulted him in 2008, when he was 23. According to the man’s account — first reported by the Sun — he asked Spacey, then the artistic director of the Old Vic Theater, for help with his career, and Spacey invited him to his home in South London. The man said the two smoked marijuana and passed out, and that he woke up to Spacey performing oral sex on him. He said he told Spacey to stop; Spacey allegedly told him not to tell anyone what happened. In May 2019, the Met’s Complex Case team interviewed Spacey in the U.S. in connection with this allegation and other claims of sexual assault lodged with the Scotland Yard, though Spacey was not arrested at the time.

British bartender Daniel Beal claimed Spacey flashed his genitals at him.

Daniel Beal, a British bartender, told the Sun that in 2010, Spacey followed him outside on his cigarette break, flashed his genitals, and told the then-19-year-old, “It’s big, isn’t it?” Once they were back in the bar, Beal said, Spacey gave him the Swiss watch he was wearing. “Looking back, I realize it was to keep me quiet,” said Beal.

At least 20 men from the Old Vic Theatre alleged inappropriate sexual behavior by Spacey.

In a Facebook post in 2017, Mexican actor Robert Cavazos said Spacey groped him at the bar of the Old Vic Theater, though he did not specify when the alleged incident occurred. “There are many of us who have a ‘Kevin Spacey story,’” Cavazos wrote. “It seems like you only needed to be a man under 30 for him to feel free to touch us.” By November 2017, at least 20 men associated with the Old Vic alleged inappropriate sexual behavior by Spacey, both during his time as the theater’s artistic director and before. The theater publicly apologized, calling the allegations “a shock and disturbing surprise,” and had a law firm investigate the allegations, none of which reportedly involved minors, and concluded that Spacey’s “stardom and status … may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help.” The report also said that Spacey hadn’t participated in the investigation and that independent allegations could not be verified.

News anchor Heather Unruh claimed Spacey sexually assaulted her 18-year-old son.

During a press conference in Boston in 2017, former Boston news anchor Heather Unruh claimed her son was sexually assaulted by Spacey at a Nantucket bar in 2016, when he would have been 18. According to Unruh’s account, Spacey bought her son “drink after drink after drink” at the restaurant before allegedly reaching inside his pants and grabbing his genitals. In 2018, the Boston Globe reported that Spacey faced one charge of indecent assault and battery in relation to the incident, the first criminal charge he faced since the allegations began. Spacey pleaded not guilty, with his lawyer calling the interaction “consensual flirtation” and alleging that the accuser “concocted and exaggerated elements of a story to impress his friends.”

Following the Globe’s report, Spacey posted a video to his Twitter account, “Let Me Be Frank,” in which he assumed the voice of his House of Cards character Frank Underwood and appeared to address the allegations, telling viewers, “If I didn’t pay the price for the things we both know I did, I’m certainly not going to pay the price for the things I didn’t do.” In 2019, Unruh’s son dropped his civil lawsuit against Spacey six days after filing it. Later that month, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped the sexual-assault charge against Spacey after Unruh’s son refused to testify about a missing smartphone the defense had sought as evidence.

An anonymous massage therapist alleged Spacey forced him to grab his genitals.

In September 2018, an anonymous massage therapist who said Spacey offered him oral sex and forced him to grope his genitals twice during a 2016 session at the actor’s home in Malibu sued Spacey for battery, assault, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Spacey asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit because of the plaintiff’s concealed identity, but a federal judge moved it forward, with all parties agreeing that the case would proceed to trial. In September 2019, the accuser died, and his estate later dismissed the suit.

House of Cards staffers claimed Spacey created a “toxic environment for young men.”

In 2017, eight House of Cards staffers told CNN that Spacey had behaved inappropriately with them, with one production assistant alleging that Spacey put his hands down the assistant’s pants while driving. “He was a man in a very powerful position on the show and I was someone very low on the totem pole and on the food chain there,” the anonymous assistant said. “It was a toxic environment for young men who had to interact with him at all in the crew, cast, background actors.” In 2020, a private arbitrator ruled that Spacey must pay $31 million to MRC, the studio behind the show, for breach of contract in relation to the allegations. MRC claimed that measures taken after Spacey’s firing — including writing off his character, stopping production of the show’s sixth season, and shortening it to meet deadlines — spurred exorbitant losses, and it petitioned a California court to confirm the arbitrator’s ruling in 2020. Although Spacey’s attorneys have tried to throw out the case, arguing that his behavior with crew members did not go beyond “sexual innuendos” and “innocent horseplay,” a judge ruled in MRC’s favor on Thursday, saying that Spacey’s attorneys had failed “to demonstrate that this is even a close case.” NBC reports that Spacey has denied the allegations through his attorneys and a spokesperson. 

 

This makes me feel kinda "left out." Seems like Kevin was going after everybody but me. Maybe I could bring a suit alleging negligence - he neglected me and I have suffered in silence long enough. My life has been unalterably ruined by Kevin Spacey's neglecting me - almost like I was being singled out for negligent abuse. I want my fair share - I deserve it. 

[+ WilliamM]

It appears that Kevin and Scottish actor John Barowman "had a moment"while Rapp was in the  bathroom 

Makes sense because Barowman is extremely good looking

[Guest]

3 hours ago, MscleLovr said:

...on the dates of the sex attacks in the UK alleged by the complainant, the singer was actually overseas performing on tour...

Yes, but why let the fact that the accusation is literally impossible to be true dissuade people like @WilliamM or @Bucky? According to them, the fact that there are multiple complaints proves guilt beyond any doubt! Multiple accusations = guilt. Ipso facto, res ipsa loquitur, case closed!

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Mercury said:

...However, with repetitive patterns, I do believe the phrase, “Where there is smoke, there is fire”. 

If you see this in the theater, don't scream "FIRE!". You could find yourself in legal hot water, both criminally and civilly.

I'd hate to live in a society in which accusations can cause repercussions without any need for proof, just jumping to conclusions. Remember Salem in the 17th Century??

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2022 by Unicorn

[+ WilliamM]

26 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

If you see this in the theater, don't scream "FIRE!". You could find yourself in legal hot water, both criminally and civilly.

I'd hate to live in a society in which accusations can cause repercussions without any need for proof, just jumping to conclusions. Remember Salem in the 17th Century??

 

 

 

I went to graduate school at Penn State  just after many people defended the great Joe Paterno. The opposite of Kevin