Kevin Spacey has admitted to “being too handsy” in the past and “touching someone sexually” when he didn’t know they “didn’t want him to”.
The actor has largely been out of the spotlight since 2017 when he first faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
At the time, he was the lead star of Netflix’s House Of Cards, but the streaming service cut ties with the actor in light of the accusations – while he drew criticism for his decision to come out as gay in response to them.
Spacey stood trial in the UK for multiple sexual offences against four men in July 2023 but was acquitted on all counts. In October 2022, he won a US civil lawsuit after being accused of an unwanted sexual advance at a party in 1986.
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He has now spoken to broadcaster Piers Morgan in an hour-a-half interview, in which he admits to “bad behaviour” in the past.
When pushed by Morgan on what he means by this, Spacey says: “Pushing the boundaries… being too handsy… touching someone sexually in a way that I didn’t know at the time they didn’t want.”
When Morgan asked if that included “groping people”, Spacey replied “yeah” before clarifying his viewpoint.
“Grope is a very odd word,” he says. “I personally… I… I have caressed people, I have been gentle with people, that is the way I am.
“You’re making a pass at someone, you don’t want to be aggressive, you want to be gentle and see if they are going to respond positively so I think the word [grope] itself is not one I associate with my experience.”
Morgan later asked the American Beauty actor what his message would be for “young actors who’ve had bad experiences with you over the years”.
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Spacey then claims he has spoken to a “significant” amount of those people “in person” in recent years.
“We have an intimate and genuine conversation,” he says. “Those conversations have been incredible.”
Spacey also discussed his current financial situation and claimed his house in Baltimore is currently being sold, because he can’t afford to pay bills and is “many millions” in debt due to legal bills.
His most recent media appearance before this came last month, when he spoke out to deny new allegations of inappropriate behaviour from men who spoke out in a Channel 4 documentary.
He has landed just a handful of acting roles since leaving House Of Cards. His 2023 film Peter Five Eight, a neo-noir thriller, was not well received by critics.
Spacey has always denied any allegations of criminality.