Spacey cut from film amid new sexual misconduct allegation

Unruh said her son panicked and froze while Spacey insisted he come with him to a private after-hours party to drink with him more. (ShutterStock photo)

BOSTON — Kevin Spacey was cut from a soon-to-be-released Ridley Scott film as sexual misconduct allegations continued to mount against the “House of Cards” star on Wednesday.

All of Spacey’s scenes in Ridley Scott’s finished J. Paul Getty film “All the Money in the World” will be reshot with Christopher Plummer, persons familiar with the production but not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The unprecedented decision, which comes just over a month before the film is due to be released, came hours after a former TV news anchor said Spacey sexually assaulted her teenage son last year at a Nantucket restaurant.

Heather Unruh said her son, who was 18 at the time, was “star struck” during a chance encounter with Spacey at Club Car Restaurant’s crowded bar in July 2016. Unruh said Spacey bought her son “drink after drink” and then stuck his hand down the drunk teen’s pants and grabbed his genitals.

Unruh said her son panicked and froze while Spacey insisted he come with him to a private after-hours party to drink with him more.

Spacey ultimately left to use the bathroom and the teen ran away at the urging of a nearby woman who could tell he was shaken, Unruh said. Unruh’s son ran back to his grandmother’s house, woke up his sister and called his mother, who joined them in Nantucket the next day, she said.

Unruh said her son didn’t report the assault at the time because he was embarrassed and scared. Her family was emboldened to come forward now that others have gone public with allegations of sexual misconduct against Spacey and other celebrities, she said.

“To Kevin Spacey, I want to say this: Shame on you for what you did to my son,” Unruh said, flanked by her daughter and lawyer Mitchell Garabedian, who has represented hundreds of clergy sexual abuse victims.

A lawyer for Spacey didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Spacey’s former publicist said last week that the actor is “taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment.”

Spacey is one of the biggest names to lose work and standing in Hollywood since The New York Times and The New Yorker detailed sexual harassment and abuse allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein last month. Weinstein has hired two criminal defence attorneys to handle a New York police investigation into actress Paz de la Huerta’s claims the mogul raped her twice in 2010, his representatives said Wednesday.

The trade website Deadline reported Wednesday that Amazon Studios is investigating harassment claims against Jeffrey Tambor, the Emmy-winning star of its “Transparent” series. Tambor denied the allegations in a statement to Deadline.

Los Angeles police also on Wednesday confirmed they are investigating actor Corey Feldman’s claims he was sexually abused as a teenage actor.

Numerous police investigations are ongoing into alleged conduct by Weinstein and Spacey. Police in Beverly Hills, California, Los Angeles, London and New York are investigating Weinstein.

Unruh said the teen filed a report with police last week, and she said a criminal investigation has begun. She said her son has turned over evidence to authorities, but her attorney said they could not elaborate on what he provided.

Nantucket Police Chief Bill Pittman said Massachusetts law doesn’t allow them to confirm or deny a report of sexual assault.

Cape & Islands Assistant District Attorney Tara Miltimore said a person has provided information to police about an “indecent assault and battery” and that authorities are waiting to hear from the person’s attorney.

Garabedian said he is conducting his own investigation and did not say whether they intend to file civil action against Spacey.

Unruh said her son had never met Spacey before the encounter, and Garabedian said they don’t know why Spacey was on the island at the time.

She said her son continues to struggle with the emotional effects of the encounter. The teen, who was not named during the press conference, asked her to speak publicly on his behalf, she said.

“He’s committed to doing what he can to stop Kevin Spacey from victimizing anyone else,” she said.

Since actor Anthony Rapp first went public with accusations against Spacey late last month, several other men have come forward with stories of harassment and assault.

The mounting allegations caused Netflix to cut ties with the actor and suspend production on its sixth season indefinitely. The company also scuttled its Gore Vidal biopic, with Spacey starring as the author.

In a recent interview with BuzzFeed, Rapp said Spacey made sexual advances on him during a party in 1986, when he was 14. At the end of the night, an inebriated Spacey picked him up, placed him on his bed and climbed on top of him, Rapp said. Rapp said then-26-year-old Spacey was holding him down tightly, but he was able to get away and left the apartment.

The two-time Academy Award winner has said he doesn’t remember the encounter but apologized if such “drunken behaviour” occurred.

Harry Dreyfuss, the son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, also has said that Spacey groped him in 2008 when he was 18 while his father was rehearsing a play at Spacey’s London apartment.

London police said have also said have begun investigating an alleged 2008 sexual assault reportedly linked to Spacey.