Kevin Spacey responds to sex abuse allegations, comes out as gay

Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Kevin Spacey responded to allegations Sunday that he attempted to seduce Anthony Rapp more than 30 years ago when he was 26 and Rapp was 14.

Spacey also came out as gay in the statement.

In an interview with Buzzfeed published Sunday evening, Rapp said that back in 1986, when he was a child actor working on Broadway, Spacey was a fellow Broadway thespian and invited him to a party at his apartment. Rapp went and later in the evening, a drunken Spacey attempted to seduce him.

"I don't know if I would have used that language," Rapp said. "But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually."

Rapp said he was sitting on the edge of a bed watching TV when Spacey got on top of him. But Rapp got out from under Spacey and left.

"The older I get, and the more I know, I feel very fortunate that something worse didn't happen," Rapp said. "And at the same time, the older I get, the more I can't believe it. I could never imagine [that] anyone else I know would do something like that to a 14-year-old boy."

Spacey responded to the allegations on Twitter.

"I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor. I'm beyond horrified to hear this story," Spacey said. "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 addressed longstanding rumors that he is gay, which is something he had never publicly denied, but never publicly confirmed, either.

"This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life," he said. "I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact I have been so protective of my privacy," he said. "As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior."

Rapp told Buzzfeed that he tried to come out with the story years ago, but lawyers advised him against it due to Spacey's fame and power in Hollywood. But with the recent wave of accusations against Hollywood kingpins like Harvey Weinstein, Rapp felt compelled to tell his story, too.

"Part of what allowed the Harvey situation to occur was that there was this witting and unwitting conspiracy of silence," Rapp said. "The only way these things can continue is if there's no attention being paid to it, if it's getting forgotten."

Rapp responded to Spacey's statement late Sunday, tweeting, "I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me.

"Everything I wanted to say about my experience is in that article, and I have no further comment about it at this time," he concluded.