Kevin Spacey is a pedo?? !!

[boston bean]

I am disgusted.

Link to tweet

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. If that's true -- Damn!

Spacey has been one of my favorite actors for years. I guess you never know about people...

[Initech]

8. I know, I love "House Of Cards".

I swear there's a systematic effort by conservatives to take down Hollywood and I'm afraid they might actually succeed this time.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. If it's true, nobody is to blame but Spacey himself. It's not a plot.

[Initech]

21. But 1986? Why is this guy just now coming forward?

I don't know... I'm not defending the act of this at all but the timing seems very odd.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

23. Juveniles who have been abused often don't tell anyone for years,

if at all, because they are ashamed and think it's their fault. It's why statutes of limitations for sex abuse of minors tend to be very long - because they are afraid to say anything. This was also true of many of the abuse cases involving Catholic priests. Most of the plaintiffs in those cases were middle-aged men who had been abused decades previously and didn't come forward until they'd had years of therapy.

[Initech]

43. Yeah I get that.

It's a shitty situation no matter who is involved. It's too bad our system is so fucked up that in the event it does happen to someone they can't get the help they need or throw their accusers in jail.

[IronLionZion]

29. Have you seen the news lately?

A lot of people have been coming forward after Weinstein. Many celebrities have been called out recently. People talk to each other, find out they're not the only one, and find their voice.

[Initech]

41. Yes I've seen the news.

I'm not defending this even slightly. Don't get me wrong, it's horrible no matter who does it.

[MaryMagdaline]

36. Because he's sick if this s**t

There's no timing issue. He's mad and tired of holding it in. He was 14 years old and had to fend off a grown man.

[Initech]

46. What I don't get about this.

And I'm still trying to comprehend it. And again I'm not defending these acts at all. I'm just asking questions. What I don't get is that Harvey Weinstein - as horrible and disgusting as he is - got the book thrown at him. But Donald Trump and Bill O'Reilly don't even get a slap on the wrist. Except for the money they lost, which is pocket change to them.

[MaryMagdaline]

48. It's not over yet

[JHB]

83. Nondiclusure agreements account for some of that...

“All right, here’s money. But pay attention to this clause here: You don’t talk about this. If you do, we can sue you for everything you have and everything you ever will.”

[metalbot]

99. Weinstein?

You're arguing that he "got the book thrown at him"? What did he get charged with?

At the end of the day, he will be slightly less wealthy than he is today, and his ability to make himself hugely more wealthy has been diminished (but not eliminated). I'd argue that he probably didn't even lose that many friends, because it's clear that a lot of people already knew about him, despite the denials.

[ATL Ebony]

85. No, not odd at all and with the "me too" movement he found support and courage to speak out.

Victims sometimes bury their memories very deep and they some never come forward while others speak up immediately, yet others take years to face and address the issue. Bottomline, it's their story to tell in their time NOT ours.

[anneboleyn]

93. A lot of males who have been abused have been speaking out too. There have been a lot of boys

abused and this is really the first time I've seen more than one or two speak out and also draw attention to their claims without negative, homophobic backlash. Saying that you were a victim of sexual abuse (and considering that Rapp is himself gay) is sometimes very difficult for teenage boys/men to admit. Corey Feldman has been saying for YEARS that young men were being routinely molested in Hollywood. Elijah Wood has said that as a child (pre-pubescent) he was approached, and that his mother always insisted on being present after this occurred at any audition or acting gig. There are a number of others who have just spoken out -- James van der Beek is another.

I love Spacey, but he did admit this happened because he apologized for his "drunken behavior" that's not the same as "I absolutely did not ever do this." To me it's very disappointing. He's a brilliant actor.

[JI7]

15. most allegations of sex abuse on both sides are made by people of the same political leanings

as the person they are accusing.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

2. If this is true - and we should take sex abuse accusations extremely seriously - Kevin Spacey

should be Harvey Weinstein's cell mate.

[True Dough]

3. The number of allegations being leveled

is truly disturbing. I tend to believe most of them have merit. The mask has come off the exploitation that is STILL rampant in Hollywood. But some of the people being accused are individuals that I admired for their talent. I'll reserve judgement, to some degree, until they are convicted or pay a settlement, but I'm disappointed in some of the reported assailants.

[Rollo]

75. Remember that Trump and Bannon have a LOT of Hollywood connections...

I wouldn't be surprised if Bannon, who has vowed to continue the fight to support Trump outside the White House, is behind all these allegations about Hollywood celebrities being made public, suddenly.

The objectives?

1) Distract from Trump's attempts to systematically undo all the progress that Obama made

2) Cover up the damage Trump's administration is doing

3) Legitimize Trump's own history of sexual harassment, if not rape.

4) Distract from the investigation(s) into Trump's own allegedly criminal activity, including money laundering and collusion with Russia.

Don't get me wrong: these are serious accusations and if true, indefensible. I just wonder at the timing, especially with the people involved with Trump, and their motives.

[JI7]

76. the people accusing them are mostly liberals

[Rollo]

79. Maybe...

Or maybe the Bannon machine has been seeking them out and convincing them to tell their stories without revealing the political motive underlying the effort.

Not that this excuses any of the abuse if it's true.

I just find the timing, and the community suspicious.

And remember the outrageous slanders against Clinton and company regarding the false allegations about a pizza parlor acting as a front for a child prostitution ring or something like that. It's not like these right wing nutjobs are above this.

[JI7]

80. no, they really are liberal. just like the ones accusing o'reilly ailes etc are mostly conservative

this has nothing to do with party politics.

[Tatiana]

4. Another POS!

He should be in jail, if this is true (and I can't imagine the victim would have come forward unless it really happened).

[ProudLib72]

5. Lord help us!

It's more difficult to find someone who did not commit sexual harassment or rape.

[bluepen]

6. Technically, no he is not.

That accuser was not prepubescent.

[boston bean]

7. Waiting for someone to claim this distinction that means nothing as to how fucking disgusting this

is.

[bluepen]

9. Did someone downplay the seriousness?

I must have missed that.

Words have definitions for many reasons.

[DURHAM D]

10. Does Chickenhawk work? nt

[bluepen]

11. Like pressing harder on remote buttons

when you know the battery is dead.

🍕

[DURHAM D]

12. Huh? nt

[bluepen]

16. Non sequitur for non sequitur.

[LeftInTX]

14. There is a difference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia

Pedophilia or paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children.[1][2] Although girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11, and boys at age 11 or 12,[3] criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13.[1] A person who is diagnosed with pedophilia must be at least 16 years old, and at least five years older than the prepubescent child, for the attraction to be diagnosed as pedophilia.[1][2]

Teenagers are often coerced into sex because of their vulnerability. It is still a crime to have sex with a minor. The perp would still be considered a sex offender.

[boston bean]

17. What the hell do yoj think I give a shit? Pedo is sex with a child or attraction to children.

14 is still a child and a 14'yo can appear and be prepubescent. He is a fucking pedo who belongs in jail.

[stevenleser]

44. Photos of Rapp I saw from that time seemed even younger than 14

Sick.

Truly a power issue too. There are plenty of willing adult partners available in that industry of both sexes and all orientations.

[alphafemale]

98. Children small for their age are often cast.

They are usually more capable of more complex and emotional deliveries.

Doesn't make them adults by any means.

But a child that looks more like 10 and is 14 is generally going to be better for the role than an actual ten year old.

Frankie Muniz was 15 when My Dog Skip was made and looked much younger than that.

[Alice11111]

72. !!! Not a subject to make fine distinctions, unless you have to as a legal defence atty. Sate laws

Vary a lot. Regardless, it's predatory. If it is true, usually more victims come out. However, it generally is true. I wish I had finished the latest season of House of Cards before this, as I won't enjoy it now.

[bluepen]

19. I think emotion will overrule facts in this thread.

[uppityperson]

37. Statutory rape, or sexual assault toward a minor. Not pedophilia.

First is an action, a crime. Second is a condition which if acted on, the action becomes a crime.

[Alice11111]

69. !!!

[uppityperson]

38. But if true he is a rapist.

Statutory rape, not sure if sexual assault of a minor is different.

[bluepen]

40. Agree.

[BainsBane]

18. unreal

No one is who you think they are.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

20. I heard rumors years ago that

Kevin Spacey was gay. Didn't bother me then, doesn't bother me now. BUT, forcing himself on underage young men or boys crosses a line I'm not down with. I hope it proves untrue.

[BainsBane]

24. No one cares if he's gay.

Pedo is a whole other thing. The gender of the minor doesn't matter; that he is a minor does.

[bluepen]

26. That fact contributes to corroborating the allegation.

[Rollo]

30. Careful. Just because someone is gay is no corroboration of pedophilia, not any more than that...

Someone is hetero corroborates an allegation of rape...

There is far too much assumption on the part of the general public that a gay person is pre-disposed to pedophilia. Most gays I know find pedophilia to be abhorrent, as do I.

Rape and pedophilia is more about a perverse sense of power than sex, anyway.

[bluepen]

32. Not at all what I said.

[Rollo]

47. Then how does being gay corroborate a charge of pederasty?

[bluepen]

50. It doesnt corroborate it and I didnt say it did.

I said it “contributes to corroborating it.”

Since Spacey is in fact gay, that lends credence to the story that he made advances toward a male. Any male. Regardless of age.

It’s just one aspect of this.

[Rollo]

53. Again, you're wrong. His gayness, if he is, does NOT lend credence that he would engage in pederasty

And it is shameful if one thinks as much.

.

[bluepen]

54. Okay. Differing opinions. No big deal.

[Rollo]

56. Homophobia is a big deal, and it seems to me it runs conrary to the spirit of this forum.

[bluepen]

58. Irrational fear isnt a factor.

Again, just differing opinions exchanged in a civil manner. Nothing wrong with that.

[Rollo]

77. Homophobia isn't just a differing opinion. It's just wrong.

And it appears to me that you are pushing a homophobic point of view: that merely being gay is somehow evidence that a man is more likely to abuse boys. And that IS the direct implication of what you've been posting, i.e., that it adds "credence" to the "corroboration" of the of the person in question having engaged in same sexual abuse of a minor.

It no more lends credence than would apply to the corroboration of a heterosexual orientation to the allegation of opposite sexual abuse of a minor.

The viewpoint expressed is basically a denigration of gay people.

And that's MY opinion.

[bluepen]

86. I think the difficulty you are having arises with

your attributing words to me that I never said nor implied.

For instance:
“merely being gay is somehow evidence that a man is more likely to abuse boys”

Nowhere did I say or imply anything about “merely being gay.” In fact, I expressly stated the opposite in more than one post.

Nowhere did I say or imply that being gay means someone is “more likely to abuse boys.” As you know, my comments were solely about this accusation, not a commentary on the likelihood of any (and certainly not all) gay man (men) to abuse boys.

The simple fact is that none of that is there. It’s made up. I did find the timing of that in this thread notable, however.

And with that, I’m pretty sure we’ve covered it all but you may have the last word if you wish.

[Rollo]

87. How disingenous...

What you said:

"Since Spacey is in fact gay, that lends credence to the story that he made advances toward a male. Any male. Regardless of age."

How can that not be interpreted as stemming from a homophobic view that a gay male is predisposed to making sexual advances against male children?

Do you also feel that a straight male is predisposed to making sexual advances against female children?

[bluepen]

89. Not at all. You are misinterpreting.

Whether by mistake or deliberately, I’m not sure so I won’t make a wild accusation.

Anyway, it’s Mueller Time! Manafort is in custody. I’m moving on to that since it’s important and this side-issue exchange had become boring and, more importantly, has absolutely no substantive impact on anything. Call me wrong, declare victory, etc. I won’t see it.

[Rollo]

59. FYI

From the DU Terms of Service:

No bigotry/insensitivity

Members are expected to respect diversity and demonstrate an appropriate level of sensitivity when discussing related topics. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or other forms of bigoted intolerance are not permitted.

[bluepen]

63. You dont have to resort to a baseless claim

or ascribe an ugly ulterior motive to me in order to declare victory. You asked a question, I answered/explained/clarified it, you didn’t like it, we disagree. That’s all.

I was going to post another rule that applies here but posting about rules is against the rules.

[MaryMagdaline]

64. The victim is also gay

As his husband/partner. Doesn't change the fact that they are horrified about the incident. Obviously two actively gay men do not find it normal for grown men to abuse minors.

[bluepen]

65. Agree.

[anneboleyn]

94. It has nothing to w/him being gay. However Spacey did apologize for "drunken behavior"

that wasn't appropriate and he hasn't said "no I never did this" so I think he clearly did. To me it's tragic as Spacey is a great actor and this depresses me (obviously not his being gay but the assault accusation (s)

[brush]

67. Like hell it does. That's like just being a straight male contributes to allegations of...

Last edited Mon Oct 30, 2017, 02:00 AM - Edit history (1)

sexual harassment.

Ridiculous.

[Rollo]

78. Exactly...

Except of course, I recall seeing stats some years ago that most cases of sexual child abuse are committed by straight males...

[brush]

90. By those males, not all.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

31. Yup

Pretty much what I said.

[BannonsLiver]

22. Id like to hear Spaceys side of the story

It’s quite amazing the number of people in this thread who don’t seem to have any interest in that at all.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

25. I believe most of the posts included the caveat "if it's true."

Of course it shouldn't be assumed automatically that the claim is true. It also shouldn't be assumed it isn't. I hope it isn't true.

[bluepen]

27. Yeah, the part about the alleged act being very similar

to a scene in the play in which the accuser was a performer is very interesting and would probably be explored very thoroughly by a defense attorney.

[milestogo]

28. Yeah, me too.

[BainsBane]

33. He'll get to tell his side

and if his case proceeds as they typically do, he probably won't be tried and if he is, he won't face jail time.
Look at Cosby and Trump.

[MaryMagdaline]

39. He chose not to deny it

Says a lot to me.

[emulatorloo]

49. Spacey statement, posted on twitter 15 mins ago:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029767680

[MaryMagdaline]

52. He just made a statement not denying

[elleng]

62. With you, BannonsLiver. HERE:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029767680

[anneboleyn]

96. You can read what he posted on twitter. He does not deny it and apologizes for "drunken behavior"

[brettdale]

34. Gutted if True.

But no matter how gutted as fans people are, we are not feeling as bad as Rapp must of
when the alleged incident occurred

[Not Ruth]

35. Spacey is a rapist

[Bradshaw3]

42. I came across a story about Spacey a couple of years ago

and his fondness for young males. Nothing wrong with that if they are of age of course but when I did a search there were all kinds of stories about his aggressiveness with younger male actors seeking sex from them. In this article, Rapp's story is corroborated by friends who confirmed they were told about it decades ago. When you read that - as with the allegations about dump and Weinstein - it lends credence to it. Asking why he didn't come forward at the time is as short-sighted as those who make the same point about dump's accusers.

[Laffy Kat]

68. You're absolutely right.

Never cared for Spacey myself, just one of those actors I could take or leave. I know he has a lot of fans, though.

[ellie]

45. There have been rumors

for years about his behavior.

[elleng]

51. No, but don't let facts get in your way.

[BainsBane]

57. Are you calling the victims liars?

That their testimony doesn't constitute fact? Or did you not even bother to read the article?
You are in no position to lecture the OP about facts. Your post shows abject contempt for them.

[elleng]

61. Kevin Spacey statement posted on Twitter:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029767680

[JI7]

74. looks like he is confirming the allegation

[BainsBane]

91. Only he was drunk and not responsible

He claims. Yet she says the OP if devoid of fact.

[LittleBlue]

55. Another one I won't watch again

Affleck, Clooney, Damon, now Spacey. The list grows longer. Anyone who sexually assaulted people, or knew and said nothing, is on the list. Sick assholes.

[tenderfoot]

60. Thankfully, he'll never be speaker of the house

like Dennis Hastert

[Laffy Kat]

66. At 14-years-old that's sick but not pedophilia.

It would be pedophilia if he was a prepubescent child. Still, it's illegal and totally messed up. I'm glad guys are coming out with these stories as well as women. Now that people feel more empowered, I bet we see more and more of this. As they say, sunshine is the best disinfectant. Let's call the predators out!

[MFM008]

71. Sex Offender.

my best friends brother went to jail for molesting a 14 year old. He had to register as a sex offender.

[Laffy Kat]

81. Yes, especially with that age difference.

I mean a 14 and 15 year old is one thing as long as the encounter is mutual seems like the law would take that into account; however, Spacey was a much, much older adult. That's a sex offense, I'm sure. Hope Spacey with all his money and star status doesn't weasel his way out. Have no idea about the statute of limitation.

[Not Ruth]

82. Is that the Polanski defense?

She looked 14 !!!!

[Laffy Kat]

84. I have no idea what the Polanski defense might be;

But whatever it is, he is still guilty, IMHO. He's a creep.

[lindysalsagal]

92. That 14 year old was alone at a party with grown ups, and was not assaulted.

Let's be clear: Spacey did not use force against him, or punish him or intimidate him. It was vulgar and unwelcome and inappropriate, but it was not breaking the law.

Where were this kid's parents? Why was he allowed to be alone at parties with booze?

And, Spacey was not in a position of authority.

This is not equivalent, it was wrong and ugly and pathetic, but it was not illegal.

[MFM008]

70. when I was attacked at age 7

by a babysitter, I didnt tell my parents until i was in my 20s.
Dont discount a claim due to time.
Caution but open mind.

[dewsgirl]

73. Through the years his name has popped up

In a couple disturbing scandals regarding underage boys, he has managed to somehow get through them professionally intact. I always assumed there were just rumors. Deeply disappointed he really has been a great actor, apparently a not so great human being.

[Rollo]

88. The scientific analysis... gay males are no more likely to abuse children than straight males...!

Conclusion

The empirical research does not show that gay or bisexual men are any more likely than heterosexual men to molest children. This is not to argue that homosexual and bisexual men never molest children. But there is no scientific basis for asserting that they are more likely than heterosexual men to do so. And, as explained above, many child molesters cannot be characterized as having an adult sexual orientation at all; they are fixated on children.

[OliverQ]

95. I'm in no way defending him, but to be precise, 14 is an Ephebophile.

Pedophiles target children under the age of puberty (so generally younger than 12).

Still horrible, and as a Musical Theatre actor myself, it's sad to hear about Anthony Rapp.

[anneboleyn]

97. Still illegal. I love Spacey and this hurts, honestly. But I don't care about the linguistic issue

He knows he did something illegal. It's very sad.