Liam Neeson, Stephen Fry, and Sharon Stone defend Kevin Spacey: “He is a genius”
Several prominent actors have recently defended Kevin Spacey and called for his return to acting, such as Liam Neeson, Sharon Stone, F. Murray Abraham and Stephen Fry.
The actor was first accused of sexual assault in 2017 when Anthony Rapp claimed that when he was 14, Spacey made inappropriate advances towards him, who was 26. In 2020, Rapp sued him for intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual battery and sexual assault, despite Spacey stating that he had no recollection of events, which reportedly took place in 1986.
Spacey was then accused by various other men in the following years, with several stating that the actor molested or harassed them when they were underage. Another allegation came from an individual who worked on the popular show House of Cards, which Spacey starred in and served as an executive producer for. The show’s final season did not include Spacey as a result.
Several more allegations came to light when several people accused Spacey of sexual misconduct while he was working in London and Gloucestershire. Yet, Spacey has been found not guilty in regard to all accusations made against him, with the actor maintaining innocence.
Talking to Dan Wooton in a recent interview, Spacey continued to double-down on his innocence, claiming that while he’s made a few ill-advised decisions, he’s never done anything “illegal.”
In response to a recent documentary, Spacey Unmasked, which features testimonies from some of the actor’s alleged victims, several actors have defended him. Talking to The Telegraph, Liam Neeson said, “Kevin is a good man and a man of character. He’s sensitive, articulate and non-judgmental, with a terrific sense of humour. He is also one of our finest artists in the theatre and on camera. Personally speaking, our industry needs him and misses him greatly.”
Sharon Stone is also desperate to see Spacey return to Hollywood, stating, “I can’t wait to see Kevin back at work. He is a genius. He is so elegant and fun, generous to a fault and knows more about our craft than most of us ever will.”
She added, “It’s terrible that they are blaming him for not being able to come to terms with themselves for using him and negotiating with themselves because they didn’t get their secret agendas.”
Furthermore, Stephen Fry criticised the documentary as a way to “harass and hound” Spacey, adding, “How can that be considered proportionate and justified?”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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