"It's a form of bullying. It's a form of control. It's almost always [done to] young vulnerable men and women who are starting their career."

"That sort of experience goes unchecked until something like this happens," he said.

"The pillars of what were are falling. Everything is being exposed. Women and men should not have to tolerate misbehavior just because of their youth and inexperience.

"The silver lining is we’re not accepting behavior like that just because it’s the way it’s always been."

In October last year, following a litany of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey made headlines after it was alleged that he had sexually assaulted Anthony Rapp. Rapp, who was just 14 years old at the time of the incident, said that Spacey had come on to him while intoxicated at a party.

Initially, Spacey attempted to paint the encounter as a one-off mistake, saying:

"I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago.

"But if I did behave as he describes, 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."

Since then, however, a lot more about his past has come to light - and his former co-stars are still coming to terms with it.

Robin Wright, who starred alongside the 58-year-old as his on-screen wife in Netflix's House of Cards, has recently come forward to say that she had no idea what Spacey was like off-set.

On The Today Show, Wright was asked if she ever saw any "red flags" that would have hinted at Spacey's dark personal life, but the actress - who is now due to take over as the lead character on the political drama - said that she could never have known.

"Kevin and I knew each other between action and cut. And in between setups, where we would giggle," she said. "I didn’t really... I didn’t know the man. I knew the incredible craftsman that he is."

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This claim will surprise many of those who worked on House of Cards, as the show's crew have previously said that Spacey's behaviour was known about, and was even joked about on some occasions.

The showrunner, Beau Willimon, has previously made statements similar to Wright's, and last year claimed: "During the time I worked with Kevin Spacey on House of Cards, I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off."

However, in a conversation with Buzzfeed, another crew member said:

"I saw that Beau said he had no idea, which I know is completely false. They had production meetings about Spacey’s flirtatious behaviour toward crew and cast, and it never made it any further than that. It was like a joke."

Of course, though, it is impossible to know what some people saw and decided to keep quiet, and what others genuinely never observed for themselves.

In the time since the allegations first emerged, Wright has been at the forefront of making sure that House of Cards still goes ahead without the disgraced actor.

Patricia Clarkson, who plays Jane Davis in the series, said that the actress is the main reason fans will get to enjoy another season:

"It was truly the great Robin Wright rallying. We have beautiful showrunners… and they killed themselves to rethink the whole show. It’s only eight episodes.

"Robin led all of this charge so that people would save their livelihoods because when the show goes away some people don’t get paid."

As of yet, no formal charges have been brought against Spacey.

Kevin Spacey broke down in tears during a recent interview as he opened up about the impact the allegations made against him have had.

Spacey has largely been out of the spotlight since 2017, when he first faced allegations of sexual misconduct. At the time, he was the lead star of Netflix's House of Cards, but the streaming service cut ties with him in light of the accusations.

Spacey also faced criticism for coming out as gay in response to the allegations.

In July 2023, Spacey stood trial in the UK for multiple sexual offenses against four men but was acquitted on all counts.

In October 2022, he won a US civil lawsuit after being accused of an unwanted sexual advance at a party in 1986, per Sky News.

In a recent hour-and-a-half interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan, Spacey admitted to "bad behavior" in the past.

Watch Spacey discuss his financial situation below:

When pressed by Morgan on what he meant, Spacey said: "Pushing the boundaries… being too handsy… touching someone sexually in a way that I didn't know at the time they didn't want."

When Morgan asked if this included "groping people," Spacey replied: "Yeah," but clarified his viewpoint.

"Grope is a very odd word," he said. "I personally… I… I have caressed people, I have been gentle with people, that is the way I am. You're making a pass at someone, you don't want to be aggressive, you want to be gentle and see if they are going to respond positively so I think the word [grope] itself is not one I associate with my experience."

Morgan later asked what Spacey's message would be for "young actors who've had bad experiences with you over the years."

Spacey claimed he has spoken to a "significant" number of those people "in person" in recent years. "We have an intimate and genuine conversation," he said. "Those conversations have been incredible."

Spacey also discussed his current financial situation, revealing that his house in Baltimore is being sold because he can't afford to pay bills and is "many millions" in debt due to legal fees.

When Morgan pressed Spacey on the reasons behind his financial troubles, the actor candidly admitted that he simply couldn't pay off his debt, which amounts to millions of dollars.

Spacey's financial woes have been so severe that he has considered filing for bankruptcy multiple times, but he has narrowly avoided it each time.

He also expressed uncertainty about where he will live once his home is officially foreclosed.

Spacey then vowed he would be "getting back on the horse" and moving forward to get himself into a better situation going forward.

You can watch Spacey's full interview HERE.

Featured image credit: Carl Court/Getty