Theatre probe unearths 20 claims against Spacey
THE Old Vic theatre has received 20 claims of inappropriate behaviour by Kevin Spacey, who was artistic director at the prestigious London theatre for over a decade.
“The investigation resulted in 20 personal testimonies shared of alleged inappropriate behaviour carried out by Kevin Spacey,” the theatre said in a statement yesterday.
The 20 personal allegations of incidents range from 1995 to 2013 and the theatre said it was not able to verify any of them.
Spacey became artistic director at The Old Vic in 2004 and stepped down in 2015.
The theatre said some of the victims felt they had not been able to come forward and that Spacey operated without sufficient accountability.
“This is clearly unacceptable and The Old Vic truly apologises for not creating an environment or culture where people felt able to speak freely,” it said.
“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.” The theatre set up a helpline when the first allegations about the two-time Oscar winner came out earlier this month.
The theatre said no formal grievances were raised against Spacey during his tenure except for one person, who had come forward at the time, while none of the people were minors at the time of the alleged incidents.
It promised a new set of guidelines on inappropriate behaviour, to establish a new reporting system and provide more guidance and training.
It said its victim support counselling service would be open to anyone affected during Spacey’s tenure. “We will foster a safe and supportive environment without prejudice,” The Old Vic chairman Nick Clarry said.
Artistic director Matthew Warchus said the allegations had been “a shock and a disturbing surprise to many of us”.