Advertisement

Anthony Rapp Speaks Out One Year After Accusing Kevin Spacey: ‘I Hope He Finds a Way to Make Himself Whole’

One year after accusing Kevin Spacey of sexual harassment, “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Anthony Rapp joined Buzzfeed to look back at the fallout that occurred over the last twelve months. Rapp was the first person to publicly accuse Spacey of sexual misconduct, alleging the actor made sexual advances on him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 years old and Spacey 26 years old.

“We all felt like nothing could ever touch these people,” Rapp said about his hesitations over coming forward. “Nothing could ever impact their behavior, because we were powerless. It really felt that way. You couldn’t even think about any other way. It was not available to us.”

Read More:Anthony Rapp Accuses Kevin Spacey of Sexually Harassing Him at 14 Years Old

Rapp’s story, published by Buzzfeed on October 30, 2017, led to several more accusations against Spacey, including one claim the actor groped an 18-year-old high school student in 2008 and another story that said he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old aspiring actor in the 1980s that ended with attempted rape. Rapp said reading these additional allegations was both “cathartic” and “really upsetting.”

“Part of the story I’d been telling myself was, ‘Well, he was only doing this to older people, so [what I experienced] was an aberration,’” Rapp said. “Which wasn’t true.”

One part of the fallout Rapp wasn’t expecting was for production on Spacey’s Netflix show “House of Cards” to shut down. “When I saw that headline, I was upset and sad,” Rapp said. “I was like, Oh my god, this is an unintended consequence. I felt bad for the hundreds of people who were working on the show.”

The actor said he felt more “relieved” when Netflix made the decision to continue the series without Spacey. The series returns November 2 with Robin Wright’s Claire Underwood in the lead role.

When asked about Spacey’s disappearance from the public eye in the months since first being accused, Rapp responded, “I genuinely, I don’t know, as a fellow human being, I hope he can find some kind of way to have some kind of — I don’t know what it would be, but some way to make himself whole, you know?”

“I really mean that,” he continued. “I don’t think anyone behaves the way he behaved for so long. … I don’t think he was happy. He had demons. And so, on a certain level, I can have some compassion for that. But at the same time, every human being has some form of a demon, and the question is can you wrestle with them enough so you don’t hurt other people.”

Head over to Buzzfeed to read Rapp’s interview in its entirety.

Related stories

Bryan Singer Defends Himself Against Upcoming Esquire Article on Sex Abuse Allegations: 'It's Fictional and Irresponsible'

Matthew Weiner Addresses 'Mad Men' Writer's Sexual Harassment Allegations: 'I Really Don't Remember Saying That'

Kevin Spacey Sued for Sexual Battery and False Imprisonment by Male Masseuse