The expansion of Hollywood men — actors, producers, and just about everybody in-between — that have been accused of sexual assault or abuse over the past few weeks is actually quite astonishing. It is not the issue that sex and Hollywood didn’t mix, but it was the power manipulation that was used against aspiring actors and actresses in order for them to get a part in a movie. We as viewers judge an actor or actress as “great” but how many people who refused the sexual advances were not allowed to even have a chance to perform?
Kevin Spacey, he of House of Cards, has gotten some of the more recent exposure for being a sexual predator, and has come out as gay in the process. There are those who claim his coming out was an intended defense for his personal admission of guilt, but his sexual assault history goes back more than a few years. Many people have strong suspicions of him being gay for many years, but his personal life was his business. Now we have learned from a number of sources and victims that his sexual preference crossed over to pedophilia and sexual assault, which is hardly his personal business. Everyone from fans to people who wanted to be in the Hollywood movie business have recounted their stories as evidence against Spacey.
Since the allegations have come out he has lost his Netflix House of Cards moneymaker and is not likely to see any major roles for quite some time. But it will not likely end there, as civil and potentially criminal lawsuits may follow. If the accounts dating back to as recently as 2015 have enough evidence, his sexual assaults and abuse are well within the criminal statutes of limitation of most states. The house of cards he has personally created for himself may soon collapse, and he has no one to blame but himself.
Though few are rushing to Spacey’s defense, there are some stories that aren’t passing the smell test, so if there is any inclination to being fair with him we need to judge each case on its merits. For example, there is a story about how Spacey was at a Harvard University event where he aggressively approached a 20-something gay man for oral sex. The man declined the invitation because he claims he was “creeped out” by Spacey. Who Kevin Spacey is known to most people who don’t live in a cave, so the guy knew who he was talking to. Where does the creepiness factor come in to play? This is one of those times when we need to use common sense and separate the wannabe victims from the actual victims, otherwise how can justice be done?
It is likely that as time goes on there will be accounts that precede 2015. For Spacey, the issue is both criminal and financial. If his open admission about the one act can be used to kick down the door of his private closet, he might be losing a lot of money and may disappear into the stone walls of prison. Some people may think that it is justice, while others might say he would be in his element. If the latter is true, is it really justice?
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