Famed London theater receives 20 allegations against Spacey

November 17, 2017 at 6:05 a.m. | Updated November 17, 2017 at 6:05 a.m.

FILE - In this June 11, 2017 file photo, Kevin Spacey arrives at the 71st annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein that rocked Hollywood and sparked a flurry of allegations in other American industries, as well as the political arena, are reaching far beyond U.S. borders. Emboldened by the women, and men, who have spoken up, the "Weinstein Effect" is rippling across the globe. London was for many years a base for actor Spacey, who served as artistic director of the Old Vic theater from 2004 until 2015. The allegations of sexual harassment that have surfaced in recent weeks, including some during his tenure at the Old Vic, have cast a pall over his tenure. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - In this June 11, 2017 file photo, Kevin Spacey arrives at the 71st annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein that rocked Hollywood and sparked a flurry of allegations in other American industries, as well as the political arena, are reaching far beyond U.S. borders. Emboldened by the women, and men, who have spoken up, the "Weinstein Effect" is rippling across the globe. London was for many years a base for actor Spacey, who served as artistic director of the Old Vic theater from 2004 until 2015. The allegations of sexual harassment that have surfaced in recent weeks, including some during his tenure at the Old Vic, have cast a pall over his tenure. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

LONDON (AP) — London’s Old Vic Theatre said Thursday it has received 20 allegations of inappropriate behavior by its former artistic director Kevin Spacey, and acknowledged a “cult of personality” around the Hollywood star had made it difficult for people to come forward.

The London theater launched an investigation into Spacey last month after claims of sexual harassment emerged in the United States. Spacey, 58, led the Old Vic between 2004-15.

The Old Vic said it had received 20 allegations of “a range of inappropriate behavior,” from actions that made people feel uncomfortable to “sexually inappropriate” touching.

All the alleged victims are young men, none under 18 years old. The reported incidents took place between 1995-2013, many of them at the Old Vic, and all but four of the alleged victims are former staff of the theater.

In all but one case, the complainants said they didn’t report them at the time. One man said he reported an incident to his manager, who didn’t act on the information.

The Old Vic said it had encouraged 14 of the complainants to go to police, but couldn’t confirm whether any had done so.

The theater said Spacey’s “star power” contributed to an atmosphere in which staff “didn’t feel confident that the Old Vic would take those allegations seriously, given who he was.”

“During his tenure, The Old Vic was in a unique position of having a Hollywood star at the helm around whom existed a cult of personality,” the theater said in a statement. “The investigation found that his stardom and status at The Old Vic may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help.”

A two-time Academy Award winner, 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 earlier this year. The reports sparked a wave of abuse and harassment allegations to surface across the industry.

Upcoming Events