I just watched Spacey Unmasked, the documentary from UK Channel 4 (it hits HBO Max later this week).  I had a strange and unexpected reaction to the accusations – I was mostly sympathetic to Spacey.  The men featured fell into one of two categories.  There are some who were minding their own business and found themselves the recipient of some aggressive sexual act (i.e. Anthony Rapp).  But most of them were young actors asking Kevin for career help, or writers who wanted Kevin to produce their movie.  In those cases, Spacey simply offered tit for tat – well, more tat than tit.  While many of these men felt uncomfortable, they kept going back.  Why?  One guy came right out and said after his “encounter”, he was gonna use it as “leverage – you’re gonna help me make my career”.  I’m not blaming them.  It’s natural to think someone who is ahead might help you…especially if you give them head!  I can’t tell you how many guys I’ve slept with who I had little interest in.  But they paid for dinner, or bought me drinks, or just wore me down.  Nobody pulled out a gun or threatened me.  As Spacey points out, despite the numerous legal cases brought against him, he has always prevailed.  We’ll see how that works out since a new civil suit has been filed against Kevin in the UK.  That trial is not expected to take place until early 2025.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a few other interesting details.  Ruari Cannon had a role opposite Kim Cattrall in Sweet Bird of Youth at the Old Vic.  I found his account particularly credible and painful.  Andy, who had an encounter with Kevin at the Public Theatre in 1981, finds it suspect that Spacey has not made any statement about the gay community or how it feels to live as an out gay man.  I can answer that one – Spacey is not a member of the gay community and does not live as an out gay man.  There are all different kinds of gay people, Andy.  Then there’s Greg, who went to high school with Kevin and claims to have been the recipient of some unwanted sexual aggression while driving in his car.  For someone who claims to be straight, he took an inordinate number of photos of a young Kevin Spacey, who at the time was still Kevin Fowler.  And speaking of Fowlers, there’s Kevin’s brother Randall Fowler, who claims to have been repeatedly raped by their father.  Not that this is germane to the story, but today Randy bears a striking resemblance to a latter-day Jeanne Cooper!