Emmys rescind honour for Kevin Spacey following harassment allegations

The Emmys will not be honouring Kevin Spacey with its Emmy Founders Award, it has said, following allegations that he sexually assaulted a child actor in 1986.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which organises the annual ‘TV Oscars’, was planning to give Spacey the gong at this year’s event, to mark his work on ‘House of Cards’.

It released a short statement on Twitter confirming its decision last night:

Netflix has since announced that it will end ‘House of Cards’ after its sixth series, currently being filmed in Baltimore, and though it has not connected the show’s axe with the allegations, it said in a statement that it was ‘deeply troubled’ by the news.

Anthony Rapp, a renowned Broadway actor currently appearing in ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, says that Spacey tried to force himself on him at a party when he was 14-years-old.

Spacey has since made a statement saying that he doesn’t remember the incident, blaming likely alcohol use, and has apologised.

He also announced in the statement that he is now ‘living as a gay man’, but has been heavily criticised for choosing that moment to reveal his sexuality for the first time.

“It is deeply sad and troubling that this is how Kevin Spacey has chosen to come out,” wrote Zachary Quinto on Twitter.

“Not by standing up as a point of pride – in the light of all his many awards and accomplishments thus inspiring tens of thousands of struggling LGBTQ kids around the world [-] but as a calculated manipulation to deflect attention from the very serious accusation that he attempted to molest one.”

Comedian and actor Billy Eichner added: “Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.”

Read more
Insanely detailed pumpkins for Halloween
Spacey slammed for coming out
Tarantino admits “he knew” about Weinstein