Earlier this week, sexual assault allegations were brought against Kevin Spacey as Anthony Rapp came forward in an interview in which he claims Spacey made sexual advances on him when he was merely fourteen in a hotel room after a party. Shockingly, Spacey neither denied or confirmed this statement, but instead made his own apology in which he decided to come out as a gay man to the public via a Twitter post.
The LGBTQIA+ community exploded online, reprimanding him for confusing homosexuality with a case of pedophilia—two subjects that should not be related whatsoever, but are often seen in the same sphere due to the stereotype that being gay is perverted in nature. With how large his platform is, Spacey had an opportunity to make a positive impact on the community and how others view it, but instead, he threw it under the bus by reinforcing the outdated, negative connotation created long ago.
When I read the post, I felt disappointed by how calculated it was, though it was also unsurprising. Anyone who pays attention to Kevin Spacey’s career could probably guess he is homosexual, even purely based on the roles he takes (Frank Underwood is GAY, you guys). Coming out is supposed to be a joyous occasion, not an admittance brought forward to cover up the attempted seduction of a minor—his doing was extremely offensive and inauthentic in my eyes.
Netflix responded to the incident within the day, saying that they were choosing to delay further production of season six of House of Cards, and that it would be the final season of the show. By the end of the week, they have officially announced their disaffiliation with Spacey, who was also an executive producer for the show, which has won over thirty awards since it’s creation, according to its IMDB, along with countless nominations.
A new statement has also been released in which Spacey has been accused of sexual harassment on set for House of Cards that is backed up with several anonymous sources.
Especially so soon after the hordes of famous women bravely coming forward to claim Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed them, this incident strikes as a relevant subject that, while disturbing, needs to be spoken. Spacey’s case widens the scope of the problem from women to people of all genders facing this issue in the entertainment industry.
Sadly, the only way to handle the problem is to address it. I hope more and more women and men begin to speak more openly of the injustices they have endured after seeing the courage of others speaking out against such powerful individuals in the industry. As much as I love the show, I don’t think I’ll be able to watch House of Cards the same way ever again, which is a tragedy—unfortunately, a necessary one. I hope Spacey receives the help he needs, and that his victims find peace knowing their honesty is making an impact that will last longer than his career.
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