Kevin Spacey is on trial at Southwark Crown Court (Picture: PA)
Kevin Spacey said he was ‘pressured’ to come out as gay after being accused of sexual misconduct.
The actor, 63, is up at Southwark Crown Court accused of charges including sexual assault and indecent assault, which are alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.
Jurors heard on Thursday that the star’s world ‘exploded’ when in 2017 allegations against him were made by actor Anthony Rapp, who accused Spacey of lying on top of him in a bedroom.
The allegations appeared online in a Buzzfeed article.
Spacey spoke about the reaction to the allegations during the trial on Thursday, saying there was ‘a rush to judgement’.
‘Before the first question was asked or answered I lost my job, I lost my reputation, I lost everything in a matter of days.
The allegations by Rapp went to trial and were found not proven in October of last year.
He told jurors he had been ‘pressured’ to come out as gay (Picture: EPA)
At the time of the allegations, Spacey had issued a statement coming out as gaywhich he said ‘upset’ the LGBTQ+ community.
He told jurors at the current trial that he did so as he was ‘under a lot of pressure thaat I had to say something.’
He added, ‘if I didn’t it was going to be a nightmare, a PR nightmare.’
‘Members of the LGTBQ+ community were upset because I came out while I was responding to an accusation… now I understand why it was read that way but I hadn’t put those two things together,’ he said.
He claimed he had wanted to come out as gay for around two years at that stage and thought that ‘in the face of this terrible accusation maybe I can do something at least positive.’
He has denied the allegations against him (Picture: EPA)
The gay community had ‘been pressuring me for a very long time about coming out,’ he added.
‘Maybe now that the allegation against Mr Anthony Rapp has been proven to be false, maybe people will read that with a little bit more understanding now.’
Spacey pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
The two-time Academy Award winner also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The trial continues.
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The star is on trial in the UK.Â
