Actor Kevin Spacey issued an apology late Sunday after a fellow actor alleged that Spacey made sexual advances on him when he was a teen.
Spacey was responding to claims made by Broadway actor Anthony Rapp in an interview with BuzzFeed. Rapp claimed that when he was 14 years old in 1986, he attended a party at Spacey's apartment. A "drunk" Spacey, then about 26, lay him on a bed and climbed on top of him, "pressing into me," Rapp said.
"He was trying to seduce me," Rapp added. "I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually."
The now 58-year-old "House of Cards" actor issued a statement on Twitter: "I'm beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago."
Rapp told the website he squirmed away and left, and recalled that he only interacted with Spacey one other time, in 1999.
Spacey apologized "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."
Rapp, now 46, told BuzzFeed that as Spacey's success grew over the years so did his "frustration, anger, and incredulity with the sexual boundary he said Spacey crossed."
Rapp, who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of "Rent" in the 90s, said he felt compelled to share his story after allegations against Harvey Weinstein sparked open, widespread conversation about harassment in the entertainment industry.
"Part of what allowed the Harvey situation to occur was that there was this witting and unwitting conspiracy of silence," Rapp told the website. "The only way these things can continue is if there's no attention being paid to it, if it's getting forgotten."
Rapp provided a statement to NBC News, saying, "I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out, to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me. Everything I wanted to say about my experience is in that article, and I have no further comment about it at this time.”
Spacey added on Twitter that Rapp's story "has encouraged me to address other things about my life."
"I choose now to live as a gay man," Spacey wrote. "I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior."
Photo Credit: Michael Zorn/Invision/AP, File