NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A lawyer for Kevin Spacey sought Tuesday to poke holes in the story of another actor who claims Spacey made a sexual advance on him when he was a teenager.
During an aggressive cross-examination at a , defense attorney Jennifer Keller zeroed in on inconsistencies between Anthony Rapp鈥檚 account of how he first met Spacey in 1986 and that of an older friend who was there.
Rapp said he was 14 when Spacey invited him and the friend to a nightclub after meeting them backstage at a Broadway play starring Spacey. He testified they went home without incident immediately after the nightclub outing.
However, the friend 鈥� who was in his late teens at the time 鈥� has said in a deposition that the pair actually went to Spacey鈥檚 apartment and described Spacey trying to lure the friend into a sexual encounter.
Considering the friend鈥檚 deposition, 鈥淵ou knew you had a problem with your story, correct?鈥� Keller asked.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 dispute his story. I just don鈥檛 remember it,鈥� Rapp said.
According to Rapp, it was days later before he went to Spacey鈥檚 apartment for the first time for a party. He has testified that after the other guests left, Spacey forced himself on him by pinning him down on a bed 鈥� an allegation Spacey denies.
The cross-examination came during the second week of a trial stemming from the accusation Rapp first made publicly in 2017 before suing Spacey. It was among similar claims that largely shut down Spacey鈥檚 career with multiple allegations of inappropriate touching or sexual advances.
At the time, Spacey was starring in He鈥檚 also known for his role in the 1999 film 鈥淎merican Beauty,鈥� which won him an Academy Award.
As a teenager, the 50-year-old Rapp acted in films including 鈥淎dventures in Babysitting.鈥� He was later part of the original Broadway cast of 鈥淩ent,鈥� and is now a regular on 鈥淪tar Trek: Discovery鈥� on television.
Under questioning by his own lawyer earlier Tuesday, Rapp recounted how he confided in a classmate after his encounter with Spacey. He said he told the friend that he watching TV in a bedroom when Spacey 鈥渃ame in drunk, picked me up as a groom does a bride, and he climbed on top of me trying to get with me sexually and I managed to squirm away.鈥�
He also recalled that when he was still in high school, he once went to see a movie starring Spacey and realized how much he was traumatized. He said he felt like he鈥檇 been 鈥渟tuck with a cattle prod. Like I jumped out of my seat. Adrenaline. Sweaty palms.鈥�
In 1999, Rapp had a chance encounter with Spacey in a restroom at the Tony Awards, he testified.
鈥淎s I was washing my hands, Kevin Spacey walked through the door," he said. 鈥淚 looked at him and he looked at me. That was startling. ... I wanted very much to get away.鈥�
Rapp's lawyer 鈥� responding to defense suggestions that Rapp was obsessed with Spacey 鈥� asked him, 鈥淗ave you ever had a crush on Kevin Spacey?鈥�
鈥淣o, I have not,鈥� he responded.
Tom Hays And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press
