Kevin Spacey Trial: Anthony Rapp Says Alleged Sexual Assault Is ‘Most Traumatic Single Event of My Life’

A brief furor erupted during Kevin Spacey’s sexual misconduct trial on Wednesday after Anthony Rapp suggested on the witness stand that the Oscar-winning star had made unwanted overtures to several people.

“I came forward because I knew I wasn’t the only person that Kevin Spacey made advances to,” Rapp said, a comment which immediately drew objections from Spacey’s lawyers.

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Judge Lewis A. Kaplan sustained the objection and moved to strike Rapp’s comments from the record, but the drama continued as attorneys were seen huddling at the side of the courtroom.

Rapp, who alleges that Spacey lifted him on to his bed and got on top of him in a sexually suggestive manner in 1986 when Rapp was 14 years old, is suing the actor for $40 million in damages. Spacey’s lawyers have noted inconsistencies in Rapp’s testimony, including his description of the actor’s studio apartment and the timeframe surrounding his decision to speak to a BuzzFeed reporter for a 2017 article about the alleged incident. Rapp, for instance, claimed that he was inspired to come forward because of an op-ed by Lupita Nyong’o about her sexual misconduct experiences with Harvey Weinstein. However, text messages between Rapp and reporter Adam B. Vary reveal that their exchanges pre-dated her piece. Vary is now a reporter at Variety.

Rapp acknowledged the discrepancy, but said that Nyong’o’s piece “confirmed and cemented” his decision to come forward.

Spacey’s lawyers also questioned why Rapp had not told his mother about the incident. The actor was a minor at the time, but had recently starred on Broadway in “Precious Sons” when he met Spacey and later attended a party at his house. Rapp said he was enjoying his freedom and worried about it being curtailed.

“We never talked about sex at all,” Rapp said, explaining his relationship with his mother. “I didn’t want to worry her and I didn’t want to lose my independence.” He said he was allowed to move around the city late at night because “I was living a [more] unusual life than most 14 year olds.”

Rapp said the incident with Spacey remains “the most traumatic single event of my life,” one that continues to haunt him.

Rapp appeared in the original Broadway cast of “Rent” and stars on “Star Trek: Discovery.” Prior to the assault allegations, Spacey starred in hits like “American Beauty” and on Netflix’s “House of Cards.” Spacey’s attorneys have argued that Rapp manufactured the allegations out of professional jealousy, something he refuted.

“Values and principles are more important than money,” Rapp said, adding, “I never wanted Kevin Spacey’s career. I wanted my career.”

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