Actor Anthony Rapp testified Wednesday that he decided to go public with his 30-year-old encounter with Kevin Spacey because he knew he wasn’t the only person Spacey had made inappropriate sexual advances on.
Rapp became emotional and his voice shook as he made the comments in response to a question about his motivations for filing a civil sexual assault lawsuit against Spacey in Manhattan federal court by one of his own lawyers. The trial came near the end of the third day of testimony. Rapp is seeking $40 million for psychological injuries.
“I came forward because I knew I wasn’t the only one that Kevin Spacey made inappropriate sexual advances to,” Rapp said.
An objection forced Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to immediately announce that the remark would be stricken from the record. The jury has not been allowed to hear other claims made against Oscar-winner Spacey, 63, who was popular in the Netflix series. House of cards Before a series of sex claims derailed her career in 2017.
Afterward, Rapp elaborated on his claim that after a party in his Manhattan apartment in 1986, a 26-year-old Spacey lifted him onto the bed and pressed his clothed body against 14-year-old Rapp’s clothed body. , before he got out and ran. In the bathroom before leaving the apartment.
“It was something that happened to me that wasn’t right,” Rapp said.
Defense attorney Jennifer Keller ended her cross-examination of Rapp by attacking his reputation for what she claimed was his encounter with Spacey for the rest of his life. Rapp, 50, is a regular on Star Trek: Discovery On television he was part of the original Broadway cast. rent Has performed in films including Adventures in Babysitting.
Keller noted that she had told a therapist that after Spacey’s bout, she sought sexual attention.
“Yes,” replied Rap. He said that he began to notice people’s attention towards him in a way that he had not before.
Keller then asked if it was unusual for someone going through puberty to be interested in sex.
“Don’t you think that after boys go through puberty, they develop a strong interest in sex? Come on, Mr. Rap,” he said.
“What’s the question? It’s not that simple,” Rapp replied.
The Associated Press typically doesn’t name sexual assault accusers until they come out publicly, as Rapp has done.