“Spacey Unmasked,” a two-part British TV docuseries that will have its streaming premiere Monday night on Max, includes a number of new sexual assault allegations against actor Kevin Spacey, who was cleared of inappropriate sexual behavior and actions in civil and criminal courts in both the United States and Britain in the past few years.
“Spacey Unmasked” interviews 10 men, all but one of whom are identified by their first names, who allege they were victims of assault by the Oscar-winning actor. None of the accusers in the documentary were a part of the recent court proceedings. In the documentary, the men give details of alleged incidents in which Spacey groped, massaged or inappropriately touched them.
Spacey denied all allegations made in the documentary in a statement shared on social media. “Spacey Unmasked” concludes with a similar statement of denial from Spacey.
The two episodes, which first aired on May 6 and 7 on Channel 4 in Britain, feature testimony from 10 men, mostly from the United States, speaking about events that happened over five decades. The documentary also includes interviews with entertainment journalists who covered Spacey, and two women who worked on the set of Netflix’s “House of Cards,” in which Spacey had the starring role.
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Attempting to show a pattern of aggressiveness and sexually inappropriate behavior throughout Spacey’s career, the documentary delves into his past, interviewing both the actor’s brother and a high school classmate, as well as featuring remarks Spacey has made in previously recorded interview segments and speeches. It suggests Spacey’s alleged behavior may have been rooted in a difficult childhood with an abusive, Nazi-supporting father. New allegations made in “Spacey Unmasked” are similar to those made by others since 2017.
Spacey denied the allegations against him in a statement to the documentary’s producers.
“Kevin Spacey said that he had been provided with insufficient time and detail to respond to the testimonies in this film,” according to a title screen shown at the end of the documentary. “He said, ‘I have consistently denied — and now successfully defended — numerous allegations made both in the U.S. and the U.K., both criminal and civil, and each time have been able to source evidence undermining the allegations and have been believed by a jury of my peers.’”
When asked for comment by The Washington Post, a representative for Spacey pointed to comments the actor made in a nearly two-hour interview with broadcaster Dan Wootton, which streamed on X (formerly Twitter) before Channel 4 aired the documentary.
“I take full responsibility for my past behavior and my actions. But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me,” he told Wootton.
Spacey was one of the most heralded actors of his generation, winning a pair of Oscars for roles in “The Usual Suspects” (1995) and “American Beauty” (1999). He became artistic director of the prestigious Old Vic theater in London in 2003. Ten years later, he starred in Netflix’s first big hit in “House of Cards.”
But the actor was one of the early stars swept up in the #MeToo movement, when actor Anthony Rapp alleged in 2017 that Spacey made a sexual advance on him at a party in 1986 when they were both relatively unknown actors, according to BuzzFeed. Spacey denied the allegations.
About a week later, multiple “House of Cards” employees accused Spacey of sexual harassment and assault, which led to Netflix firing him. Spacey was later dropped from a number of projects. In October 2022, Spacey was found not liable in a case brought by Rapp, which alleged sexual assault and battery.
Much of the “Spacey Unmasked” series chronicles the actor’s rise and fall, with journalists Chloe Melas and Adam Vary speaking about what it was like to cover him throughout his legal proceedings.
The documentary links Spacey’s dedication to acting and embracing character work to his upbringing, according to his brother, Randy Fowler, who says in the documentary that their late father was an abusive Holocaust denier who held Nazi meetings at their house. An unnamed high school classmate who attended acting classes with Spacey also talks about how Spacey’s vibrant personality had a darker side: The classmate claims Spacey sexually assaulted him in a car on the way to a party.
The documentary includes several clips from speeches and interviews Spacey gave about his career and approach to acting, in which he emphasizes the importance of becoming a character, or wearing a mask.
“When you put a mask on your face and stand in front of a mirror, you suddenly don’t see yourself. You see something else and suddenly you become free,” he is seen saying in a speech.
As Spacey rose to stardom, according to the documentary’s interview subjects, the actor used his reputation in Hollywood to ask for “sexual favors” from up-and-coming actors and writers. Several of the accusers were young actors in Hollywood who sought a big break in their careers and thought Spacey might help them climb the Hollywood ladder.
Many of the men in the series say they were star-struck by Spacey and feared ramifications if they rejected his advances. “I don’t want this. I’m not interested in this. I’m creeped out by this. But he’s still this person who has power and influence,” says a man named Seth, one of the accusers.
Multiple actors involved in the documentary say that Spacey showed interest in their career growth, only to stop caring after the alleged assaults took place. Others said Spacey’s alleged actions discouraged them from pursuing acting careers in theater or film.
An actor identified as Ruari, who appeared in the 2013 film “World War Z,” said Spacey sent him a gift after he agreed to work at the Old Vic theater. Shortly after, Spacey assaulted him, Ruari said, and he had little interest in acting afterward. (Ruari shared his story about Spacey before the documentary aired.)
Women who worked on the “House of Cards” set accused Spacey of creating a hostile work environment. Two women interviewed in the documentary say they had a good sense of what was happening behind the scenes while it was happening. A background actress on the show identified as Dawn says that she noticed the show’s set became tense, and one of the accusers came to her for help.
A number of “House of Cards” employees eventually spoke out to CNN about Spacey’s alleged behavior on set, which led to his firing amid the other inappropriate behavior allegations. Spacey has continued to deny allegations, even embodying his Frank Underwood character from “House of Cards” in a video to deny any wrongdoing.
The documentary ends with a look into one of Spacey’s more notable court cases. Spacey stood trial for allegedly assaulting four men in separate incidents from 2001 to 2013 in Gloucestershire and London. In July 2023, a London jury acquitted Spacey of sexual assault charges dating back 20 years.
Prosecutors alleged Spacey was a “sexual bully” who used his power to control his victims — an idea that many accusers in “Spacey Unmasked” share.
“You just felt like you were getting pulled in,” says actor Travis Wade, describing for the camera his moments with Spacey and how hard he found it to refuse Spacey’s advances. “It was more of a fear that if I don’t leave here in a good light, this could cost me my career.”
It’s unclear what might come from the new allegations, or if any of the accusers plan to file charges against Spacey, who is still scheduled to face a civil trial in Britain next year over sexual assault allegations, according to Variety. News of the upcoming trial date came the day after Channel 4 began airing the docuseries.
