Kevin Spacey hasn't posted on social media since October 30, 2017, when he issued a statement to actor Anthony Rapp. Rapp accused Spacey of sexual misconduct at a party in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. Spacey said he didn't remember the encounter, but offered his "sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior." He ended his apology by coming out as gay, which earned widespread criticism from the LGBTQ community. (Really, dude? You choose this moment to do that?)
After Rapp's accusation, at least 14 other men came forward, accusing Spacey of various acts of sexual misconduct and sexual abuse. As a result, Netflix fired Spacey from their flagship series House of Cards, where he played ruthless corrupt politician Frank Underwood. The creative team scrambled to rewrite the sixth and final season, choosing to kill Frank off-camera and focus on his wife, Claire Underwood, played by Robin Wright. (A dicey prospect, since the entire show was about Frank, and the allure of a final season is seeing him finally get his comeuppance. Why not just recast the role?)
On Monday, Spacey broke his silence, publishing a bizarre video on YouTube entitled "Let Me Be Frank." In the three-minute clip, the disgraced actor reprises his role of Frank Underwood, addressing the viewer directly just like he used to do on the series. (And since it's Christmas, he wears a festive Santa Claus apron.)
The video appears to have two purposes: Spacey comments on his character getting unceremoniously killed off the Netflix show, and addresses the various claims of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct:
“I know what you want. Oh sure, they have tried to separate us but what we have is too strong, too powerful. After all, we shared everything, you and I. I told you my deepest darkest secrets. I showed you exactly what people are capable of. I shocked you with my honesty. But mostly, I challenged you and made you think. And you trusted me, even though you knew you shouldn’t. So we’re not done, no matter what anyone says. And besides, I know what you want. You want me back...
"Of course, some believed everything and have just been waiting with bated breath to hear me confess it all. They’re just dying to have me declare that everything said is true and that I got what I deserved. Wouldn’t that be easy? If it was all so simple. Only you and I both know it’s never that simple, not in politics, not in life. But you wouldn’t believe the worst without evidence would you? You wouldn’t rush to judgement without facts, would you? Did you? No, not you. You’re smarter than that...
"Anyway, all this presumption made for such an unsatisfying ending. And to think, it could have been such a memorable send-off."
The video arrives on the same day as reports that Spacey faces a felony charge of sexual assault. As reported by Variety, in July 2016, Boston journalist Heather Unruh accused Spacey of sexually assaulting her 18-year-old son at a Nantucket, Massachusetts bar. After her son told Spacey that he was 21, Spacey allegedly gave him several drinks and grabbed his genitals.
"I want to see Kevin Spacey go to jail," Unruh told reporters at a press conference in November 2017. "I want to see Kevin Spacey have the hand of justice come down on him, not just for my son but for the many others who have yet to speak their truth."
Spacey is scheduled to be arraigned on a charge of indecent assault and battery on January 7. So far, The Strange Return of Frank Underwood has not gotten many positive reviews on Twitter:
Maybe it wasn't the greatest choice to address sexual assault allegations by playing Frank Underwood, a lying, murdering sociopath. He should've brought back K-PAX instead!
