People Are Mad That Kevin Spacey Responded to a Sexual Misconduct Allegation by Coming Out

Kevin Spacey’s response to decades-old sexual misconduct allegations sparked fresh criticism of the award-winning actor, with social media users condemning his blaming of alcohol and dismissing that he came out as gay as “a completely separate issue.”

Star Track: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp told Buzzfeed News that he attended a party held by Spacey in 1986, when Rapp was underage. He said Spacey picked him up, placed him on the bed and climbed on top of him at the end of the evening. Rapp said he managed to get out of the apartment even though Spacey, who was in his late twenties at the time, was holding him down tightly.

Spacey took to Twitter to say he was “beyond horrified” by the allegations but does not recall the encounter. “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,” he wrote.

He also spoke publicly about his sexual orientation on Sunday, saying that he now chooses “to live as gay man.”

Critics on Twitter said that using alcohol to justify the alleged incident was not an excuse.

Others accused Spacey of attempting to deflect the claims by coming out as gay.

Spacey, who rarely talks about his private life, said Rapp’s story has encouraged him to be candid. “I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior,” he said.