‘Spacey groped me in front of my father’
Son of Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss was 18 when he claims House of Cards star molested him
THE actor son of Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss has accused Kevin Spacey of molesting him in London during rehearsals for a play at the Old Vic theatre nine years ago.
Harry Dreyfuss, who is now 27, claims Spacey groped him in his apartment in 2008 while his father was in the same room.
He accused the shamed Hollywood star of putting his hand on his leg several times, before grabbing him by the crotch.
Mr Dreyfuss said he did not alert his father about what was happening at the time because he was worried about the consequences, and that he had spent years making light of the incident as a coping mechanism.
But he said he had decided to speak out now because he wanted to add his voice to those who were standing up against sex abuse by the powerful.
Speaking to Buzzfeed News, Mr Dreyfuss, who is now an actor in his own right, said: “It was 2008 and he was directing my father, Richard Dreyfuss, in a play called Complicit at the
Old Vic in London.
“I’d come to visit for Christmas break. It happened one night when the three of us were alone in Kevin’s apartment rehearsing my father’s lines.
“My father didn’t see, and I didn’t tell him about the incident for many years. Instead, I spent the next nine years telling people the story at parties for laughs.”
He said at first he had been awestruck by Spacey’s presence and had been thrilled to discover that one of his idols was kind and warm towards him. But he said the affection soon became physical and he began to suspect that Spacey had ulterior motives.
He said the star had begun by placing his hand on his leg and, even though he tried to get away, he had persisted. He said: “Over the course of about 20 seconds, centimetre by centimetre, Kevin crawled his hand from my thigh over toward my crotch.
“My mind went blank… I stopped reading the script and my eyes went wide.
“I lifted up my head and faced him. Looking into his eyes, I gave the most meagre shake of my head that I could manage.”
He said he did not want to make a big deal of the incident because he was worried about what the consequences might be.
Mr Dreyfuss explained: “I thought I was protecting everyone. I was protecting my dad’s career. I was protecting Kevin, who my dad surely would have tried to punch.
“I was protecting myself, because I thought that one day I’d want to work with this man.
“Kevin had no reaction and kept his hand there. My eyes went back to the script and I kept reading.”
He explained that he eventually told his father – who starred in films including Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind – some years later.
Last night Richard Dreyfuss expressed his support for his son, writing on Twitter: “I love my son more than I could explain with all the words in the world. And I am so incredibly proud of him right now.”
Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Spacey, said: “Let me be clear, Mr Spacey absolutely denies the allegations.”
But the allegations will add to the pressure on Spacey, coming after Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp claimed the actor had made a drunken pass at him when he was 14 years old.
The 58-year-old Oscar winner, who was creative director at London’s Old Vic theatre for 10 years, apologised to Rapp but said he did not recall the incident.
Since then a number of further allegations have been made against the actor, resulting in the broadcaster Netflix cancelling the drama House of Cards, in which he stars.
Spacey has also been widely criticised for suggesting that the alleged incidents may have been the result of him struggling to deal with his own homosexuality.
‘I was protecting my dad’s career. I was protecting Kevin, who my dad surely would have tried to punch’