Kevin Spacey has told a court he regrets apologising to actor Anthony Rapp over claims that the Oscar winner made an unwanted sexual advance in 1986 when Rapp was 14.
Rapp, now 50, sued Spacey in 2020 for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and testified earlier this month that an intoxicated Spacey – then 26 and acting on Broadway – climbed on top of him at a party at his Manhattan apartment.
Rapp, at the start of his own Broadway career at the time, said he was able to “swerve my way out” but that the experience scarred him.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan earlier on Monday dismissed Rapp’s emotional distress claim, but allowed the battery claim to stand.
Spacey took the stand in his own defence in Manhattan federal court and said the allegation was “not true”, and that he had never been alone with Rapp.
He testified he was “shocked” when Rapp went public with his claim in a 2017 article in Buzzfeed.
Following the article, Spacey released a statement in which he came out as gay and apologised to Rapp for any inappropriate behaviour.
On Monday, Spacey said he now regrets his apology.
“I have learned a lesson, which is never apologise for something you didn’t do,” Spacey said. “I regret my entire statement.”
Spacey broke down in tears, saying he wanted to do something positive by coming out but was viewed as trying to change the subject from Rapp’s abuse claim.
“I would never have done anything to hurt the gay community,” he said. “I’m deeply sorry.”
Spacey is scheduled to be cross-examined when the trial resumes on Tuesday.
Rapp, who starred in the Broadway musical Rent, sued Spacey in November 2020, seeking $US40 million ($63 million) in damages.
Last week, Spacey’s lawyer challenged Rapp’s memory of the 1986 incident during cross-examination, questioning him on why he described the encounter as having occurred in a bedroom when Spacey lived in a studio at the time.
Spacey won Oscars for performances in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects, but his career largely ended after more than 20 men accused him of sexual misconduct.
Spacey faces a criminal trial in London next year after pleading not guilty to five sex offence charges over alleged assaults between 2005 and 2013.
The post Spacey denies abuse allegation in court appeared first on The New Daily.
