Kevin Spacey Provokes Furious Backlash By Coming Out as Gay in Sexual Assault Apology Statement

The Oscar-winning actor made the controversial statement on Sunday after being accused of making a sexual advance on a 14-year-old Anthony Rapp.

Kevin Spacey's world was turned upside down Sunday after Star Trek: Discovery's Anthony Rapp accused the double Oscar winner of making a sexual advance on him when he was 14, as reported by Buzzfeed News.

Spacey, 58, responded to the allegation in a statement on his personal Twitter account. In the statement, Spacey apologized to Rapp and wrote that he had no recollection of the incident, but described it as "what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior."

Spacey used the rest of the statement to come out as gay, writing that he's had romantic relationships with both men and women, and that he's now choosing "to live as a gay man."

Twitter reacted with fury at the notion that Spacey would try to deflect an allegation of sexual misconduct with news about his sexuality.

Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out. — billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 30, 2017

Bye bye, Spacey goodbye, it’s your turn to cry, that’s why we’ve gotta say goodbye. #ROSEARMY<...; rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey's comment was wrong on so many levels. https://t.co/5pFhiqMK5W — Larry Wilmore (@larrywilmore) October 30, 2017

This is not about you being gay, Mr Spacey, it's about you being an alleged paedophile. https://t.co/L92PwDsAB0 — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 30, 2017

I keep rereading this statement and getting angrier. Coming out is a beautiful part of being gay. Attaching it to this vileness is so wrong. — realMarkHarris (@MarkHarrisNYC) October 30, 2017

This is changing the subject. Rapp's charge is pedophilia. https://t.co/FNSiSW27KB — Frank Rich (@frankrichny) October 30, 2017

Anthony Rapp: "Kevin Spacey tried to rape me." Media: "Kevin how do you respond?" Spacey: "uuh...uuhh... Hey everyone I'm gay!" pic.twitter.com/6LAEfsyRtF — Travon Free (@Travon) October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey exploiting coming out as a gay man to try to distract from his assault on a 14-year-old is repugnant https://t.co/4yaYljlReX https://t.co/UUXOwZZaLf — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 30, 2017

Nope to Kevin Spacey's statement. Nope. There's no amount of drunk or closeted that excuses or explains away assaulting a 14-year-old child. — Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) October 30, 2017

"I'm sorry, Mr. Spacey, but your application to join the gay community at this time has been denied." — Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) October 30, 2017

How dare you implicate us all in this — Richard Lawson (@rilaws) October 30, 2017

It took 58 years for Kevin Spacey to cash in his gay out of jail free card. — Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) October 30, 2017

So I guess Kevin Spacey will be on Ellen this week to talk about how hard it is to come out as gay. — Joe Biggs (@Rambobiggs) October 30, 2017

In other news, Kevin Spacey didn't deny sexually assaulting Anthony Rapp when he was a 14-year-old boy. Also blamed drunkenness. Inexcusable — Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) October 30, 2017

"Sure, I may have tried to rape a 14-year-old boy when I was 26, but I'm gay!" is a pretty horrible defense. #Spacey — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey: My sexuality is none of your biz. Anthony Rapp: Kevin Spacey assaulted me when I was 14. Kevin Spacey: I’m a proud gay man! — Lara (@LarzMarie) October 30, 2017

The fact that major news media would let Kevin Spacey conflate homosexuality & pedophilia proves how disingenuous and dishonest they all are — Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) October 30, 2017

I couldn't give two stuffs that Kevin Spacey is gay. Allegations he sexually harassed a child is what we SHOULD be talking about. — Sarah Harris (@SarahHarris) October 30, 2017

part of the horror of spacey’s cynical ploy to use his coming out to deflect abuse allegations is how well it is working — Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) October 30, 2017

No no no no no! You do not get to “choose” to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks! https://t.co/xJDGAxDjxz — Official Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) October 30, 2017

Hey @KevinSpacey you can choose to act like a pervert; you can't "choose" to be gay. — Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) October 30, 2017

Bye bye, Spacey goodbye, it’s your turn to cry, that’s why we’ve gotta say goodbye. #ROSEARMY — rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

Dear fellow media: Keep focus on #AnthonyRapp BE THE VICTIM'S VOICE. Help us level the playing field. — rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

Gay = Gay Predator = Predator — rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

Just wanna be really fucking clear that being gay has nothing to do w/ going after underage folks — Cameron Esposito (@cameronesposito) October 30, 2017

The Kevin Spacey statement is disturbing on so many levels. None more than the fact that he doesn’t deny trying to seduce A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY! — andy lassner (@andylassner) October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey, coming out as gay is not a BOGO with sexual assault. No savings here honey, you're a fucking creep. — Bryan Safi (@bryansafi) October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey is trying to use coming out as a gay man to distract us from focusing on his predatory behavior toward a 14 year old boy. — Touré (@Toure) October 30, 2017