After a year-long absence following an avalanche of sexual assault and misconduct allegations during the #MeToo movement, Hollywood star Kevin Spacey came back from the dark in the guise of his ‘House of Cards’ character.
“I know what you want. You want me back,” the actor can be seen saying in video titled ‘Let Me Be Frank.’ The short clip was uploaded to his personal YouTube account.
He delivers a pointed three-minute monologue, ostensibly evoking the persona of Frank Underwood, a wicked and conniving Washington politician who Spacey played on the Netflix hit series ‘House of Cards.’ The role was promptly axed and the character killed off after multiple people accused Spacey of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior. The Hollywood star alluded to these allegations in the video.
“You wouldn’t believe the worst without evidence, would you? You wouldn’t rush to judgements without facts, would you? Did you?” Spacey says in a kitchen setting while donning a Christmas-themed apron.
“No, not you. You’re smarter than that,” he goes on.
Spacey mentions having gone through an “impeachment without trial,” and says “I’m certainly not going to pay the price for the things I didn’t do,” with all the lines delivered in a fashion that Frank Underwood would surely appreciate.
“Conclusions can be so deceiving,” the actor states, poignantly ending the speech with “Miss me?”
The video marks more than a year since Spacey was in the public eye. He currently faces charges of indecent assault and battery against a teenager. Former news anchor Heather Unruh has accused the actor of groping her 18-year-old son at a club in 2016. Spacey is set to appear before court on January 7.
Spacey became a pariah last year after actor Anthony Rapp alleged that the star made sexual advances toward him in the 1980s, while Rapp was a minor. Several other people later accused Spacey of inappropriate behavior, ranging from harassment to attempted rape.
This cost him several roles. Aside from being dropped by Netflix, Spacey’s character was cut from Ridley Scott’s thriller ‘All the Money in the World,’ which was eventually re-shot with another actor.
The allegations against Spacey were seen as part of the wider #MeToo movement, designed to expose powerful figures – mostly men – who allegedly commit sexual misconduct. The phenomenon garnered praise, but also sparked debates and controversies.
Former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice warned that the movement risks turning women “into snowflakes” and “infantilizing” them. French movie icon Catherine Deneuve argued that the fervor of #MeToo brands men as sex offenders “without being given the opportunity to respond or defend themselves.”
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