Kevin Spacey’s Real Life House of Cards

0:18 Kevin Spacey had it all, his choice of directors, his choice of movies, and was the current star of the biggest hit in Netflix's history with House of Cards. Then on October twenty ninth, twenty seventeen, that House of Cards came tumbling down. First, in an interview, an actor on Broadway named Anthony Rapp acques Spacey of making sexual advances towards him when he was just fourteen years old. Then more accusation surfaced, and when it was all over, the two time Oscar winner was fighting some fifty six different charges related to sexual assault from fifteen different people. Spacey's life went into a tailspin, fighting court case after court case, forcing Spacey to spend his massive fortune on his legal defense. Considered at one time one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, Spacey was exposed as a sexual deviant taking advantage of young actors seeking Hollywood stardom. But was it all alive? Welcome to Exposed, Scandalous files of the elite Kevin Spacey's real life House of Cards. Welcome back to Exposed.

2:00 I'm your host, Jim Chapman, and we're going to get right into today's episode. So if you run down a list of the best actors of all time. Somewhere on there you're likely going to find the name Kevin Spacey. Now, Kevin Spacey's known more recently for his highly successful Netflix show House of Cards. He's a bona fide member, y'all of the Hollywood elite. He starred in movies such as La Confidential seven, one of my favorite movies of all times, co star with Brad Pitt on that One, the Usual Suspects in American Beauty, and the latter two I just mentioned. He actually won Oscars for those. He is, for all intents and purposes, the quintessential actor, and up until twenty seventeen, he was among the most powerful people in Hollywood. On none everybody wanted a piece of Spacey, right, that is until Anthony Rapp, who was an actor primarily known for his performances on Broadway, alleged in an interview with BuzzFeed News that Spacey made sexual advances toward him when Rap was fourteen and Spacey was twenty six. Now, in that article interview, Rap stated that Spacey attempted to seduce him at a party.

3:30 This was back in nineteen eighty six, and he said that he and Spacey were the only two left at this party, which incidentally had taken place at Spacey's apartment, and according to Rap, he attempted to leave after sensing that Spacey was pretty drunk. So as he's attempting to leave, Spacey picks him up off the ground, like imagine you're a groom and you pick up a bride, or you're a bride and you get picked up by a groom, and he carries him over the threshold into his bedroom, lays him on the bed, and lays on top of him. Then Rap claimed he started squirming and pushing Spacey off of him, and eventually he wiggled away. He said that then space he followed him to the front door of the apartment, leans on the frame of that door and says, are you sure you want to go? Rap said, he responded with the affirmative yes and left. So Rap says that in that interview, which was October twenty ninth of twenty seventeen, and that obviously creates a media shit storm immediately and gets back to Spacey right away. I mean, as you can imagine his pr people are like, oh shit, you have got to respond to this quickly. So that's

5:00 what space he does. He responds quickly, like the very next day, on October thirtieth of twenty seventeen, and he releases the following statement on Twitter, and pay attention because this statement is very important and plays a big role in this story. He says, I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor. I'm beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter. It would have been over thirty years ago. But if I did behave then as he described, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I'm sorry for the feelings he described to have carried with him for all these years.

5:48 This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are stories out there about me, and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy, as those closest to me know. In my life, I've had relationships with both men and women. I've loved and having 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 behavior. So that was Spacey's I guess statement on Twitter in response to what Anthony Rapid said. Let's talk about the timing of this accusation, because that's very important too. This is the time when Harvey Weinstein's case had just blown up.

6:44 Me too. Movement was pretty much in full throttle, and there were a frenzy of people getting dragged into many, many things, especially in Hollywood, which he explains why Spacey was so quick to respond. That statement. Incidentally, was also the first time Spacey ever came out as gay, which created even more problems for the actor. As a matter of fact, the CEO of the LGBTQ organization named Sarah Ellis posted on Twitter the following this is not a coming out story for Spacey, but a survivorship story by Anthony Rapp, and those who speak out against unwanted advances in the media should not gloss over that she was offended because she felt like Spacey was was basically using the fact that he was coming out as a gay man to deflect from what happened with Anthony rap Then just a couple of days later, on November one of twenty seventeen, Spacey's rap Stacy Wolf, issues a statement and she said that Spacey was seeking evaluation and treatment, but she really didn't go into specifics on that. That's really all she said. That was on Twitter, that's where statements are apparently released now. The following day, on November two of twenty seventeen, she ends her representation of Spacey along with his talent agency Creative Artist.

8:22 Then, on November third of twenty seventeen, just five days after Rap did that BuzzFeed interview, Spacey is fired from Netflix's biggest hit at that time, the most successful show that they had, House of Cards. Five days. Y'all, all of this happened in that short time period with absolutely no proof of any of Rap's statements containing so much as a shed of truth. But think about it, it's the timing Harv Weinstein at that time had Hollywood pretty much scared shitless of even so much as an allegation of sexual harassment, rape, any of that stuff. Then it gets progressively worse for Spacey.

9:16 On November eighth, several more allegation surface, and y'all, you will see this with a lot of cases. Sometimes it's true and sometimes it's opportunistic people just jumping on a bandwagon. A former news anchor named Heather Unrew makes a claim that Spacey sexually assaulted her son the prior year when her some was working as a busboy in a restaurant. The alleged victim was eighteen at the time and straight. Then on November sixteenth, twenty seventeen, just two weeks y'all after this all started, the Old Vic Theater in London, where Spacey was on the board as artistic director, announced they were investigating some twenty instances of alleged inappropriate behavior against Spacey during his time there, which was from two thousand and four to twenty fifteen. So life obviously sucks for Spacey at this time, and if these charges are true, rightfully so. But he spends the next year fighting allegations coming from everywhere, and then on Christmas Eve of twenty eighteen, Spacey gets criminally charged with sexual assault in the case against that news anchor's son, the Enra family. They also bring a civil lawsuit at that

10:46 time. The same day, Spacey puts out a video on his YouTube channel, and he's dressed in a Santa costume is Christmas Eve, so that sort of makes sense. And he titles that video let Me Be Frank. And in this video he appears to be acting in character as Frank Underwood, and that was his character on House of Cards. But it was for sure a sideways way of sending a message to those who he felt were lying about him, and maybe even a warning to Hollywood itself. You see, by stepping into the role of Frank Underwood for this video, Spacey can maintain what's none as plausible deniability in either court because he was only acting right. It's actually pretty genius. And here's what that sounded like. I know what you want.

11:52 Oh sure they may have tried to separate us, but what we have is too strong. It's too powerful. I mean, after all, had everything you and I. I told you my deepest, darkest secrets. I showed you exactly what people are capable of. I shocked you with my honesty, but mostly I challenged you and made you think, and you trusted me even though you knew you shouldn't. So we're not done, no matter what anyone says. And besides, I know what you want. You want me back. Of course, some believed everything and had just been waiting with bated breath to hear me confess at all. They're just dying to have me declare that everything said is true and that I got what I deserved. Wouldn't that be easy? If it was all so simple? Only you and I both know it's never that simple, not in politics and not in life. But you wouldn't believe the worst without evidence. You wouldn't rush to judgments without facts, would you? Did you? No? Not you. You're smarter than that. Anyway, All this presumption made for such an unsatisfying ending, And to think it could have been such a memorable send off. I mean, if you and I have learned nothing else these past years, it's that in life and art, nothing should be off the table. We weren't afraid, not of what we said, not of what we did, and we're still

13:24 not afraid, because I can promise you this. If I didn't pay the price for the things we both know I did do, I'm certainly not gonna pay the price for the things I didn't do. Of Course, they're gonna say I'm being disrespectful, not playing by the rules like I ever played by anyone's rules before. I never did, and you loved it anyhow. Despite all the poppy cock, the animosity, the headlines, the impeachment without a trial, despite a despite even my own death, I feel surprisingly good and my confidence grows each day that soon enough you will know the full truth.

14:15 Well wait a minute, now that I think of it, You never actually saw me die, did you? Conclusions can be so deceiving, miss me so. Spacey pleaded not guilty to the charges of indecent assault and battery brought against the Unrough family, and guess what happens. On July fifth of twenty nineteen, the family drops its civil lawsuit against Spacy, though he still face criminal charges. Not for long, though. On July seventeenth of twenty nineteen, Judge Thomas Barnett of Massachusetts throws out the criminal charges surrounding Kevin Spacey.

15:16 And you may ask why. Well. Spacey's lawyers asked to examine Unra's cell phone, and the accuser's father, Nick, said in court they didn't know where the cell phone was. Then they put the mother on the stand and the mother says under oath that she deleted Nick's cell phone records from his phone. Now, come on, people, as we say in the South, something don't smell right. So when Spacey's lawyer reminded the accuser that it was a felony to alter evidence, the accuser suddenly that eighteen year older. He was older, not maybe nineteen then when he took the stand, But he suddenly starts invoking the Fifth Amendment, and the judge smelled the same thing all of us are probably smelling right now, a bunch of bullshit, and he dismisses the entire case. So during all of this craziness, some strange things happened, and it's important to note several of those strange things, which were that three accusers against Spacey died before their trials. That's a high percentage and

16:51 a strange percentage. I will grant you that the first, Linda Colkin, was hit by a car, the second, who was an unnamed massage therapist. That person's cause of death was never made public. And the third was a guy by the name of Ari Ben who was an author and actually the ex husband of the Norwegian Princess Martha Louise. He had accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct and he died by suicide. Now, what's interesting in the timing of that death, in particular that it was just a few days after the video I'm going to reference that space he made on December twenty fourth of twenty nineteen. So he releases yet another video a year to the day after the first one on his YouTube, and this one, in my opinion, was definitely a message, and it was titled simply K t w K, which after listening you will determine exactly what idea that it stands for, kill them with kindness. And here's what that sounded like. You didn't really think I was going to miss the opportunity to wish you a merry Christmas? Did you.

18:12 It's been a pretty good year and I'm grateful to have my health back. And in light of that, I've made some changes in my life and I'd like to invite you to join me as we walk into twenty twenty. I want to cast my vote for more good in this world. Ah, yes, I know what you're thinking. Can he be serious? I'm dead serious and it's not that hard. Trust me. The next time someone does something you don't like, you can go on the attack, but you can also hold your fire and do the unexpected. You can kill them with kindness, and two days later Ari being killed himself kill them with kindness. Huh.

19:03 Now, during all of this, you may have noticed we have not mentioned the guy that started off this whole shit show, Anthony Rap, filing any lawsuits. Well, that would change because on September ninth of twenty twenty, Anthony Rap and another accuser known only as the initial CD because in a lot of these sexual cases they protect the identities of people and they'll use their initials. There was a civil lawsuit filed accusing Spacey of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and it was to the tune of forty million dollars. Then things get really bad for Spacey yet again. On May twenty second of twenty twenty two, Spacey gets charged with four counts of sexual assault in the UK, as well as a charge of and I have never heard it verbalized quite like this, but one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Never heard it that clear, I guess. But the total would be five counts and they were related to the

20:37 three separate plainiffs, and Spacey pleaded not guilty to all of those counts, and on October twenty second of twenty twenty two, a win for Spacey. He's found not guilty for the sexual battery of Anthony Rapp And this is nearly five years, y'all after the initial claims in the New York courtroom. But that victory is short lived because on November sixteenth of twenty twenty two, seven additional sexual assault charges are brought against Spacey in the UK, with those previous five charges already penning, that brings the total to twelve counts, and Spacey again pleaded not guilty. Then on July twenty six of twenty twenty three, Kevin Spacey is found not guilty and cleared of every single one of those sexual assault charges in the UK, totally cleared. So after all this, several high profile actors they come out and support a Spacey, most notably Liam Neeson and Sharon Stone. But I would be thinking, if I was Spacy, where the hell where y'all before all of this, and if y'all ain't figured it out by now? I believe that space He was indeed innocent of all

22:11 these charges. I think this case and all these charges were a result of the Army Weinstein stuff and the Me Too movement stuff, which they had a lot of legitimate cases back then. But I think he got caught in the crosshairs of a bunch of scumbag people. I think it was a money grab for these people accusing him. This is just my opinion. There's not a single shred of evidence, just a bunch of people filing civil lawsuits for money in This man's life was completely ruined over it. But it really doesn't matter what I think. What did Space he have to say about it? After all the dust settled on this, Well, the truth is not much.

23:11 Until recently, just a month prior to the time that I'm recording this right now, a documentary was released in the UK over a two night period. They aired it and it was titled Spacey Amassed And as you can imagine, Space he's had enough and he's finally telling his side of the story as much as he can. Anyway. You see, in this industry, which is the same industry I work in, he's in film and I'm in media, but the contracts are the same. We have what's known as confidentiality agreements, and they hamstring us from telling our side of the story. A lot of times. He's still under one. When Netflix for exams, he's essentially gagged from saying anything regardless of truth about how he was fired from Netflix. I've been the subject to that myself. These are known as non disparagement agreements, and I absolutely hate them because they stop you from telling the truth about a company or an individual, even if that individual or that company totally fucked you.

24:27 However, a man can only take so much, and everyone reaches a point where they could just care less about an agreement, and once the information's out there, let the chips fall where they may. I promise you we all reach that point. So now we're going to cover Spacey's response to everything, and we'll start with that statement made just a day after Rapp's accusations came out in the backlash from the LBGTQ community. When space He came out in the Twitter statement, Here's what he said on My Peers Morgan show. This was aired June eleventh, twenty twenty four, just a few days prior to this recording. I have to take full responsibility for that statement. It stops with me. It was a bad statement. I should have made separate statements about my sexuality and about his accusation. I suppose that the only thing I can hope is that, now that we were able to prove in a federal court in twenty twenty two, that the accusation that Anthony Rapp had never happened did not occur, that people will understand that I was coming from a place where, in my heart of hearts, I didn't believe it had happened.

25:45 I was a little bit pushed into the corner because when someone says I mean, I don't know how you might react theirs. But if someone says, you know, you did this thing to me thirty four years ago and you were so drunk, you won't remember. My first initial response wasn't to call him a liar. My first response was to ask myself, did I did I do something embarrassing? Now, he did say he thought I was trying to get with him sexually, but he did not in any way make any sexual assault allegation against me. He didn't do that until he filed a civil and he sawed a forty million dollar lawsuit in a Manhattan federal court. Now, as I alluded to earlier, where were his friends during all this?

26:27 Well, there were a few notable ones that stayed around, but none more notable than Elton John, who actually testified at Spacey's trial as a character witness. Spacey discussed what that meant to him on This Club from Piers Morgan's Show, And here's that. Elton John and his husband David Furnish both gave witness statements. Elton by video from his home in the south of France, What did that mean to you? To have people of his stature step up for you? Actually just reminded me that Elton was the first email I got on October thirtieth of twenty seventeen after the rap story had come out, saying we love you. Whatever you need, We're here for you. And Elton has been there and David had been there ever since. What's most interesting about the fact that they testified in the trial in the UK was that I didn't ask them. I told them a piece of information that one of the accusers had said about them, which was not true, and Elton and David said, well, we have to testify, and I was like, are you kidding, No, we absolutely have to testify. We have to let the jury know that this individual is not telling the truth. And they insisted on it.

27:56 That's the kind of friends that I have that I've been very fortunate to have in my life. Have you seen Elton since yes, what did you say to Well? I gave him a big hug and David a big hug. We had a wonderful a dinner in France last summer. Evan and Lucy were there and it was a really beautiful It was very beautiful. Now, it's also important to note that space he made no bones about the fact that he was a bit of a flirt. Maybe he flirted a little bit too hard sometimes to the point where he could see someone who did not know his personality finding it maybe a little cringey for lack of a better term. And Piers Morgan he pushed him on the fact that he at that time was considered very powerful, meaning Spacey and while he may have not thought innocent flirting, was that big of a deal when you're looked upon as someone such as Kevin Spacey at that point in time, that you know this is someone that can make or break your career. Well, I'll tell you what. Here's the clip where he discusses that with Piers Morgan. See what I was told, correct me? If I'm wrong because I don't know you. We've had a few times, but I don't know you at all. But what I was told about people who do know you is that in your thespian days in the

29:30 theater world, you put on a play, it all go out, you all have a few drinks. You're very flirtatious, and you would be quite suggestive with people, and a lot of them didn't mind that at all, and some people, maybe with revisionists hindsight maybe not, didn't mind it, but that you were pretty indiscriminate in your kind of borderline, maybe crossing the borderline inappropriate behavior. Would you admit to that, You'll also talking about an in criminal Absolutely, I'm just talking about general kind of inappropriate. Absolutely true. You recognize that that characterization, I absolutely do, And it's important for me to recognize that. It's been important for me to understand that. It's been important for me to hear and listen to someone else's perspective why they didn't feel they could say something to me at the time. It's very very important.

30:29 You know, we are theater rats. You know that we become families you when you come every day. It's not like a movie you know, where you may have a scene with somebody on one day and then another scene another day. When you're doing a play, you're coming every single day whole company. And I've been so fortunate to have been a part of families that were being led by people like Jack Lemon, and families that I led when I was in a position, and it's an incredibly it's very moving, and it's very important, and I've tried in the workspace to not cross the line because it's always risky if you find yourself attracted to somebody you're working with him.

31:15 I mean, I've seen you say repeatedly, I don't doubtless for a moment that you believed in yourself that there was never any kind of quid pro quo thing that you didn't say to people. If you sleep with me, I'll help you get this job. But what your critics would say is, well, maybe not, but you're Kevin Spacey. And if you're an eighteen nineteen twenty year old young male actor and Kevin Spacey is fluttering is drunken eyelashes at you, you know, have a one of a better phrase. Yeah, that was that was very nice. I like that in a way. That in itself can constitute an abusive power, even if you don't intend it to. There is a presumption from the young acts or in that position, that a more powerful man, a famous man, a double oscool winner, is using all that to suitiuce someone, do you accept them? I can understand that perspective, I truly can. But at the same time, I'm a human being, and if I fall in love with somebody across a room, then am I not supposed to go and have a conversation with them or see if they're interested because I'm famous? Because that I mean? You know, look, there are I'm sure you have heard countless stories about relationships that began with one of the parties being more aggressive than the other. So what about the whole Epstein scandal. There were a lot of reports that came out

32:52 during that time regarding Spacey's friendship with Prince and Andrew and even the fact that Spacey was one of the individuals that showed up on those flight logs on a plane that was owned by Jeffrey Epstein. Also, there were some instances where he appeared with Epstein's partner Giselaine Maxwell, and credit to Piers Morgan, he brings this up, and he asked Spacey to explain his relationship with him and how he ended up on that plane owned by Epstein. And here's what Spacey said. Famously, it was reported that you and Gilain Maxwell were invited to the Throne Room by Prince Andrew. It then got briefed that you may have been the one who invited Gilain Maxwell. Wow, what was I hadn't heard that one. This is the thro the throne room of the fucking Palace.

33:47 Just to be just to be clear, who invited who to this? Well, let me try to put this in context before I even get into that. In two thousand and two, I got a call from President Clinton, who I had become friends with over many years, inviting me to come with him on an eight day humanitarian trip that he was going to make to Africa and South Africa. And I thought it was an incredible opportunity. And apparently he was not having great success with getting people to say yes, because it wasn't like one night in New York. It was eight days in Africa and South Africa. The fact that it was primarily to raise awareness and prevention for AIDS and particularly for mothers who had HIV to get the medication, they needed to not pass it on to their children. So I said, yes, absolutely, And in September of two thousand and two, we took off from New York and we went to Ghana and Mozambique and Zimbabwe and Rwanda and Johannesberg and Cape Town. And this was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. The doctors and nurses that we met, what we learned about, how they were treating patients, the economic development that the President was also talking about in terms of Africa and where it was going to go in the future.

35:15 The people we met. We spent a day with Nelson Mandellum, most extraordinary, just an incredible trip. Meant so much to me. And then the President was invited by Tony Blair to give the speech at Blackpool and Labor Party conference that year. I was a So we flew then to London and the President said to me, before we leave tomorrow, you won't come. I'm going to go to Buckamp Palace morris See Prince and you will come. So I said sure. So I'm a part of the President's party and there must have been I think there were twenty one guests of the Clinton Foundation when we went to Africa and South Africa. It sounds like eighteen or so people came to Buckingham Palace that morning and we were wandering through and there were people brought us into the Throne room and I sat down and a bunch of people came and sat down next to me, and a bunch of pictures were taken, and then we went up and we met Prince Andrew. I'd never met him before and have not seen him since, so that's the context. Then President and I went up to Blackpool in twenty fifteen. I started seeing reports online, things on my Twitter account that I had flown to this guy, Jeffrey Epstein's island and I had abused young girls. And I was like,

36:45 I mean, if you'd asked me in twenty fifteen, maybe even if you had asked me in two thousand and two, did I know a guy named Jeffrey Epstein, I probably would have said no. Well, of course I have since learned who he is, and I have since been able to go back and find out that the airplane that we flew on for this humanitarian mission was owned by Jeffrey Epstein, and to then learn Oh, he was actually on some of those flights, and this Maxwell woman was on some of those flights. I didn't know him. I've never spent any time with him. I was with the Clinton Foundation people, That's who I was with. Now, what I understand is that he didn't start to be investigated until two thousand and five by authorities in Florida. So here's what I can tell you.

37:36 This Maxwell woman, she was one of many people's had done next to me in that throne room. I have no relationship with her. I had no relationship with him. I mean, he's not my friend. I'm not a confidant. I've never spent time with him. And interestingly, I will say this, I was very fortunate that President Clinton introduced me a lot of business leaders in London because he knew I was coming to the Old and I developed relationships with Robert Earl, Pulu Ladobovich, the Robert Earl, a lot of wonderful people, Sir Richard, caring, people who supported the work that we did at the Old VIC and gave money to us. Do you know who I never asked for anything was Jeffrey Epstein. I didn't want to be around this guy because I felt he put the president at risk on that trip to South Africa because there were these young girls and we were like, who is this guy? So I will say this young girls on those were young girls on those flights. Yeah, and that's been out there, they've talked about it. But here's my point. There's a big difference between not remembering that I met some guy and some woman on a humanitarian trip where my focus was entirely on what we were there to do, and not remembering whether I went to somebody's island. So I never went to Jeffrey Epstein's island. I did not know him, and I ever saw him or her after that morning at Bucking up Out. He didn't even come to Bucking plis true that Prince andrew

39:06 your assistance and wants you to testify that guile Maxwell was you'll guess, not his during that Bucking Potts tool. I heard a report about that, but at no time did anyone ever contact me on his behalf. And I, as I say, I'm not friends with him. I never saw him after that day. What do you think about what's happened to him? I mean, I don't, I don't, I mean, I don't know anything about it. It's not, it's not. I'm not going to talk about someone else's scandal, you know. My point is is that I had enough accusations of my own to deal with. I don't need to inherit someone else's. And finally, what about now, having been exonerated of all these charges, what does Spacey's life look like following all of this? I mean the legal expenses alone of five plus years of biting these type of charges. Well, Pierce asked him, and what he said may shock you here. It is where'd you live now? Well, it's funny you asked that question because this week where I have been living in Baltimore is being foreclosed on. My house is being sold at auction, really, so I have to go back to

40:37 Baltimore and put all my things in storage. So the answer to that question is, I'm not quite sure where I'm going to live now. But I've been in Baltimore for since we started shooting House of Cards there, So how long is that? I moved there in twenty twelve, so you've it's been your hundred for twelve years. Well, not this particular place, but this place has been in my home and Evan and Lucy's home since twenty sixteen. Why is it being full closed? Because I can't pay the bills that I owe? Are you to know you facing bankruptcy? Been a couple of times when I thought I was going to file, but we've managed to sort of dodge it, at least as of today. How much money do you have?

41:34 None? Really? Well, I mean you know you have some sense of legal bills. Yeah, I still owe a lot of legal bills. Yes, do you WMD me asking how much you are? It's it's considerable millions, many millions. Yes, the house itself is many millions. What are you going to do? Get back on the horse. Get back on the horse. Indeed, so what do you think? You already know my thoughts? What are yours? Let us know? Thank you so much for listening, and until next time, I'm your host, Jim Chapman for exposed scandalous files of the elite. Much love,