Anthony Rapp
‘Star Trek’ star testifies at Kevin Spacey’s trial
Anthony Rapp took the witness stand on Friday.
© imago/MediaPunch
Anthony Rapp described under oath on the witness stand what is said to have happened between him and Kevin Spacey around 36 years ago.
Hollywood star Kevin Spacey (63) is currently being tried in a court in New York City for alleged abuse. At the beginning, the actor Anthony Rapp (50) found himself in the witness stand, known from the series “Star Trek: Discovery”. Rapp was one of the first of several men to make serious allegations against Spacey in the course of the #MeToo movement and has now confirmed them under oath, according to a report by the US website “Deadline”..
Rapp was “frozen”
Rapp was in the witness stand for around an hour and reported an “alarming” encounter with the Oscar winner, which is said to have happened when Rapp, now 50, was 14. He was in New York at the time trying to gain a foothold in the local theater scene as a young actor. So when he finally came into contact with Spacey and was invited to a party in his apartment, he didn’t think anything of it.
But when he arrived at the party, Rapp found that only much older people were present. However, he stayed – with serious consequences: when the other guests had left, Spacey came to him and picked him up – “like a groom carries his bride over the threshold”. Spacey seemed dazed, Rapp continued. Spacey then reportedly leaned on him “with his full weight” and held his arms while he pressed his crotch to Rapp’s waist.
“That’s when I knew something was wrong. I got the feeling that I had to get out of there. But I also felt frozen,” said Rapp on the witness stand. He finally managed to “squirm out from under him”. But Spacey got in his way, blocked the door and asked, “Are you sure you want to leave?” Only then was he able to leave the apartment.
Why was he silent for so long?
When asked why he didn’t tell his mother or authorities about the alleged harassment at the time, Rapp replied that he was in a bind, according to the report. Because at that time he had not yet come out as gay and also feared that the allegations against Spacey could harm his future career.
Rapp will take the witness stand again next Tuesday before being questioned by Spacey’s attorneys. Spacey will then give his version of the 1986 incident under oath. The process is worth up to $40 million.