Actor Anthony Rapp Accuses Kevin Spacey of Making a Sexual Advance on Him When He Was 14 Years Old

On Sunday, Star Trek: Discovery star Anthony Rapp bravely revealed in an interview with BuzzFeed News that in 1986, House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey attempted to seduce him. Both actors were working on Broadway at the time, which is how they were first introduced. Spacey, 26 at the time, invited Rapp over to his apartment for a party, and at the end of the night, he allegedly picked Rapp up, placed him on a bed, and climbed on top of him. Rapp was 14.

Rapp claimed he was able to get away from Spacey and recalled not knowing how to feel as he walked home following the incident. “My head was spinning. I have a memory of turning around and [thinking], What was that? What am I supposed to do with it? What does it mean?”

Rapp, a prominent theater actor most well-known for originating the role of Mark in Rent, had just moved to New York and was a couple months into the Broadway run of Precious Stars. Similarly, Spacey was playing a supporting role in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, his first big break as an actor. Both plays, and subsequently Rapp and Spacey’s performances, received significant praise, which is how Rapp and Spacey came to know each other.

Rapp said he never spoke to Spacey about the situation and never told his mother, who was living in New York with him. He told BuzzFeed News it was simpler for him to push the incident aside because Spacey was a relatively unknown actor at the time. Rapp assumed, or at least hoped, that he would never run into Spacey again, and tried to put the trauma in his past and move forward in his career.

Two years later, Rapp said he recognized Spacey in the 1988 film Working Girl. “I literally jumped out of my seat…It was this double whammy of, like, wait a second, that guy. And then it was coupled with the fact that his character was coming on to Melanie Griffith drunkenly. … It was a profound jolt to my system.” Spacey’s fame would only grow from there, and Rapp began to realize it would be impossible to avoid him. Rapp said Spacey showed up on the set of a film Rapp was shooting in 1993 to visit a friend, leaving Rapp feeling helpless and frozen. “It started to occur to me: What am I supposed to do if I ever work with him? What am I supposed to do? What do I do?!”

Rapp said the bravery of the women harassed by Harvey Weinstein compelled him to share his own story. “And not to simply air a grievance, 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."

After the BuzzFeed News report was published, Spacey posted a statement on Twitter saying that he does not remember the incident. "I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave then 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 also used the apology as an opportunity to come out as gay, which led to outrage. Many believe Spacey has turned the situation into a coming out narrative, taking the voice away from the victim and refusing to accept responsibility. Spacey has also received criticism for choosing to come out at the same time he's being accused of making a sexual advance on a 14-year-old boy—linking homosexuality to predatory behavior toward children, even if that wasn't his intention.

In the midst of this troubling news about Spacey, TVLine reported Monday that House of Cards will end after its upcoming sixth season. A Netflix rep confirmed to the outlet that the decision to end the series was made months ago and is not tied to Rapp's allegations.