A recent examination of actor Kevin Spacey‘s past sexual misconduct has revealed that colleagues, including actor Denzel Washington, had long speculated about his unusual behaviors before the formal allegations came to light. Washington, who worked with Spacey, noted that whispers about the actor’s conduct were prevalent during his time filming the famous series ‘House of Cards’, which was notably impacted by the ensuing scandal of allegations of assault and harassment.
In fact, Washington confirmed that Hollywood had murmured about Spacey’s peculiar sexual preferences well before he faced formal accusations, marking a significant disruption in his career.
On November 19, Esquire featured an essay by Denzel Washington, segmented into five parts, where he shared key moments from his life and career ahead of the premiere of Gladiator II.
In one portion of his essay, he reminisced about the 2000 Oscars, during which he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in ‘The Hurricane’, coinciding with Spacey‘s win that night.
“I probably drowned my sorrows that night,” Washington reflected, adding that he did not want to imply that Spacey had stolen his moment. He further explained his decision to embrace sobriety for the last ten years of his life.
And, you know, in the village there was talk of what was going on on that side of the street, and that’s something between him and God. I have nothing to do with that. I pray for him. That’s something between him and his Creator
Kevin Spacey: A Career’s Ups and Downs
In 1999, Kevin Spacey earned his Oscar for Best Actor due to his remarkable performance in ‘American Beauty’, marking his second Academy Award after his ‘Best Supporting Actor’ accolade in 1996 for ‘The Usual Suspects.’
Nevertheless, his career faced significant decline following Anthony Rapp‘s public accusation of sexual assault nearly two decades later, which prompted numerous other allegations in subsequent years.
A New York jury ultimately found Spacey not liable for assault in the Rapp case in 2022. Yet, a year later, a UK court ruled him not guilty on nine other sexual assault related charges, with initial additional accusations also being dismissed.
Despite these legal victories, Spacey’s reputation suffered irreparably, resulting in his blacklisting from the industry, even as he maintained his innocence. Further allegations arose in documentaries like ‘Spacey Unmasked‘ presented by Investigation Discovery.
Spacey faced backlash for publicly declaring his sexuality in response to Rapp’s accusations in 2017. Recently, he reported financial struggles, stating that his legal fees are overwhelming and that his home in Baltimore may face foreclosure due to the ongoing legal matters.