Kevin Spacey looking to have abuse lawsuit dropped

He is addressing the 2017 accusation.

Kevin Spacey has spoken out about the allegations of sexual abuse that were made against him by actor Anthony Rapp, deeming them as "absolutely false". Spacey's lawyers have requested that the lawsuit is dropped as he "categorically denied" these accusations and said he "did not harbour any sexual interest or desire in Mr Rapp at the time or since". Rapp accused Spacey of sexual misconduct in October 2017 and filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages in 2020. Rapp claimed Spacey has sought after an "unwanted sex advance" while the two were at a party in 1986 when Rapp was only 14 years old. Documents filed in New York on Friday claimed that Spacey had surprised Rapp at the party as he picked him up and put him on a bed. It then states that Spacey pushed his body weight against Rapp before he managed to wriggle out. Spacey has claimed that none of his interactions with Rapp had been "for the purpose of degrading or abusing him." "I categorically deny plaintiff Anthony Rapp's claim that I sexually assaulted him or otherwise made a 'sexual advance' on him," the 62-year-old said. "I met Mr Rapp several decades ago. I never had a sexual encounter with Mr Rapp. Nor did I harbour any sexual interest or desire in Mr Rapp at that time or any time. "Nor did I have physical contact with Mr Rapp or any other interaction with him that was for the purpose of sexual gratification of either me or him." He added that he did not have "any other interaction with him that was for the purpose of degrading or abusing him" and any other suggestion by Rapp or anyone else is "absolutely false." Spacey's lawyers have denied the incident, but documents that were seen by PA say they argued that the encounter did not qualify as sexual abuse as the only alleged contact with an "intimate" part of Rapp's body was when Spacey's hand grazed his buttocks as Spacey picked him up. Rapp's deposition had confirmed that none of the touching involved would constitute criminal conduct, and no other evidence that the contact was for the purpose of sexual gratification or to degrade or abuse Rapp, they said.