Kevin Spacey has said he is "horrified" after a man accused him of making a sexual advance towards him when he was a teenager.

Spacey tweeted a statement in which he said he could not remember the alleged encounter but offered "the sincerest apology" if it had taken place.

After years of speculation about his private life, he also said he now lives as a gay man.

Star Trek and Rent star Anthony Rapp told BuzzFeed that Spacey befriended him in 1986 while they were both performing on Broadway.

He claimed the Usual Suspects star invited him to his apartment for a party and at the end of the night picked him up, placed him on his bed and climbed on top of him, making a sexual advance.


Rapp told Buzzfeed he believed Spacey was "trying to seduce me" and he was "aware that he was trying to get with me sexually".

He said he managed to push Spacey off him before leaving.

At the time, Spacey was 26 and Rapp was 14.

:: Hollywood sex abuse: Are the kids alright?

Image: Anthony Rapp went on to star in Broadway musical Rent

Now 46, Rapp told Buzzfeed: "The older I get, and the more I know, I feel very fortunate that something worse didn't happen."

Spacey said he has "a lot of respect and admiration" for Rapp and is "beyond horrified to hear his story".

"I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago," said his Twitter statement.

"But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all those years."

Spacey said the story had encouraged him to "address other things about my life".

He added: "I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fuelled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy.

"As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women.

"I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life and I choose now to live as a gay man.

"I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behaviour."

Image: Rapp's claims come after dozens of women made allegations about Harvey Weinstein

After Spacey's statement, Rapp tweeted: "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."

The claims come after the allegations about Harvey Weinstein prompted many people to speak out about their experiences of sexual harassment and abuse.

Prime Minister Theresa May has called for a binding code of conduct for MPs as claims of sexual impropriety also emerge from Westminster.