Actor Kevin Spacey’s accuser, Anthony Rapp, was grilled by the defense Tuesday during a civil trial in Manhattan federal court.
Rapp, who accuses the fellow actor of sexually assaulting him when Rapp was 14 in 1986, admitted on the stand that there are flaws to his story. While the accuser remembers — and has testified — that the incident happened in a bedroom at Spacey’s Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan, Spacey’s attorney, Jennifer Keller, got Rapp to admit “it is possible” there was no bedroom and that Spacey actually lived in a studio.
The defense is trying to show the jury that Rapp may be confusing fiction with reality.
Jurors watched a scene from the 1986’s Broadway play “Precious Sons,” in which Ed Harris starred as Rapp’s father.
KEVIN SPACEY’S CIVIL SEX ABUSE TRIAL BEGINS IN NEW YORK CITY
Kevin Spacey’s defense team is trying to argue that Rapp is confusing fiction with reality because Rapp starred in a Broadway play in which his character’s drunk father confuses him for his wife and climbs on top of him.
(Karwai Tang/WireImage)
In the play, an inebriated Harris mistook his fictional son for his wife and crawls on top of him. In another scene, he lifts Rapp in his arms. Rapp has testified that a drunk-looking Spacey lifted him up “like a groom carrying a bride” before laying him on Spacey’s bed and climbing on top of him.
In an attempt to convince the jury to see a possible resemblance to the play, Spacey’s lawyer pointed out how, with the alleged Spacey incident, there had been no erection, no kissing, no touching of genitals. She then asked the accuser how long his “Spacey story” had taken.
“Fifteen to 30 seconds is my best estimate,” Rapp responded.
Keller grilled Rapp about how Spacey had reached the alleged bedroom door.
“I know that you’re an actor on ‘Star Trek,’ but I know you’re not alleging that he used a transporter to transport himself to the door,” Keller sarcastically suggested.
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Rapp, who wore a dark suit and tie while on the stand, seemed to struggle with his memory at times and admitted that the timing of events he has reported is wrong.
During direct examination, the “Rent” actor had testified that a Lupita Nyong’o’s article about her experience with Harvey Weinstein was the catalyst for him to go public with his allegations of sexual assault against Spacey. But during cross-examination, Rapp acknowledged that he had spoken to a reporter, who first published Rapp’s story, about a week before Nyong’o’s article.
So, her story couldn’t have been the catalyst.
Anthony Rapp recalled seeing Spacey on screen for the first time after the incident and feeling like he had been poked with a cattle prod.
(Sylvain Lefevre/WireImage)
In Rapp’s words, he decided to come forward “in the spirit of the other women who had accused Harvey Weinstein.” Spacey, who wore a dark suit and red tie, shook his head in apparent disbelief while listening to the testimony.
The “Rent” actor recalled the first time he saw Spacey on screen after the alleged incident. He was watching the movie “Working Girl.”
“It was as if someone had poked me with a cattle prod. I felt like I jumped out of my seat”, Rapp said.
Rapp says he watched several movies featuring Spacey over the years because “it was my duty as an actor.” But every time he did so, he said, he would be reminded of what had allegedly happened to him at age 14. The last one, he decided, would be “American Beauty” because that one was “especially difficult” and “it felt unpleasantly familiar” as Spacey plays the part of an adult man who abuses a teenager.
Over the years, Rapp said, he had always feared running into Spacey since they work in the same industry. That day came, he testified, in 1993, in a lunchroom during filming of a movie, but there was no interaction. Rapp “felt frozen” again. The next time would be in 1999 at the Tony Awards at the Gershwin Theater.
Rapp, right, first shared his experience with a doctor in 2017. And that’s when he started “understanding the long-term impact on me.” Rapp closed his eyes frequently for a few moments during his testimony as he seems to try to revisit the past.
(Getty Images)
Rapp ran into Spacey in the restroom, and they looked at each other, he recalls.
“It was a startling experience, to be in his gaze. There were no words exchanged,” Rapp said.
Another time was in “2013, 2014” at a benefit concert at Lincoln Center. Rapp was in a front row seat and, unexpectedly, he says, Spacey emerged on stage to introduce the event.
“I’ll withstand this discomfort … this uncomfortable experience of being in his presence,” he said of his thoughts at the time.
Rapp also said he has spoken to therapists about the assault. He first shared it with a doctor in 2017. That’s when he started “understanding the long-term impact on me.” Rapp closed his eyes frequently for a few moments during his testimony as he seemed to try to revisit the past.
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While this case is in civil court, and Rapp is seeking financial damages, the “American Beauty” star is facing a criminal trial next year in London.
