Spacey will not be given Emmy
Academy withdraws award slated for later this month
Kevin Spacey will no longer receive the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award after allegations of sexual misconduct.
Members of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the decision on Monday after actor Anthony Rapp came forward with claims Spacey had made inappropriate sexual advances towards him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26.
“The International Academy has announced today that in light of recent events it will not honour Kevin Spacey with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award,” it said.
In June, the Academy shared plans to present Spacey with the accolade during the 45th International Emmy Awards Gala in New York later in November.
Buzzfeed on Sunday published Rapp’s account of what happened in 1986, prompting a swift response from Spacey via Twitter. The Oscar winner insisted he couldn’t remember the incident but apologized.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor,” Spacey wrote. “I’m beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave as he described, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.”
Spacey also used the statement to confirm long-standing rumours he is gay — a decision that has drawn criticism from celebrities and gay rights groups like GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). Critics accused Spacey of attempting to deflect, and of seeming to link pedophilia and homosexuality.
Hours after the drama hit the headlines, bosses at Netflix said the upcoming sixth season of Spacey’s drama series House of Cards will be the last. It is unclear if the scandal is related to the end of the show.