Kevin Spacey's Anonymous Sexual Assault Accuser Must Reveal Identity to Proceed with Lawsuit: Report

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The anonymous accuser in the sexual assault lawsuit facing actor Kevin Spacey must reveal his identity in order to proceed with the suit, a judge ruled Monday.

In the initial lawsuit, obtained by PEOPLE in September, the former House of Cards star was accused of sexual assault by Anthony Rapp and a second man, referred to only as "C.D." in the court documents.

According to new court documents cited by The Wrap, however, a federal judge has ruled that C.D. must identify himself to the court in order to keep the trial fair. The judge noted that C.D. has previously shared his accusations with the press and discussed the incident without the condition of anonymity.

"The evidence suggests that C.D. knowingly and repeatedly took the risk that any of these individuals at one point or another would reveal his true identity in a manner that would bring that identity to wide public attention, particularly given Spacey's celebrity," the judge wrote in his ruling. "He seeks $40 million in damages. He makes serious charges and, as a result, has put his credibility in issue."

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C.D. and his lawyer have previously argued that revealing his name would trigger anxiety, emotional distress and his post traumatic stress disorder from the alleged sexual assault, The Wrap reported. He has also indicated that he will drop the lawsuit against Spacey, 61, if he has to reveal his name.

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In the original lawsuit, C.D. accused Spacey of sexually assaulting him in the 1980s, when the accuser was 14.

"Prior to intentionally and voluntarily attempting to anally sodomize [C.D.], defendant, Kevin Spacey, through his words and acts, intentionally caused the plaintiff, C.D., to become apprehensive that a harmful and/or offensive bodily contact was about to occur," the lawsuit said.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Jason Merritt/Getty Anthony Rapp; Kevin Spacey

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Rapp, 49, first came forward with his allegations against Spacey in October 2017 when he spoke to BuzzFeed about the American Beauty actor's alleged predatory behavior.

In the lawsuit, Rapp accused Spacey of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He was 14 years old and at a house party at Spacey's home in 1986 at the time of the incident.

The Rent actor said Spacey "engaged in an unwanted sexual advance with a 14-year-old and grabbed then infant plaintiff, Anthony Rapp's, buttocks, lifted him onto a bed and laid on plaintiff's body."

Rapp "sustained psychological injuries, including but not limited to, severe emotional distress, humiliation, fright, anger, depression and anxiety; a severe shock to his nervous system; and has been caused to suffer mental anguish, emotional and psychological damage as a result thereof" which have caused Rapp to "abstain from duties of his vocation," according to the lawsuit.

Spacey issued a statement at the time saying he didn't remember the alleged incident involving Rapp, and apologizing "for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunk behavior" and announcing, "I choose now to live as a gay man."

Both Rapp and C.D. are seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Spacey.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to online.rainn.org.