'American Beauty' star talks about sexual assault allegations against Kevin Spacey
Mena Suvari once acted with Kevin Spacey in American Beauty in the 90s. On Tuesday she appeared on the Today show and spoke about her thoughts on the sexual assault allegations that her former co-star is facing.
In a video shared on Twitter, the actress shared that the sexual accusations that were going around were “heart-wrenching.” She said she hoped the focus on these cases would be healing for the victims.
Mena Suvari, 39, who will be starring in the upcoming Paramount Network show American Woman, opened up to Megyn Kelly about her former co-star Kevin Spacey.
“It’s important to focus on the conversation that’s happening and the healing, the victims — the right thing that’s to come out of this,” she said. Suvari shared that she hoped the focus would be on the conversation about sexual assault and making sure that the victims receive healing.
Spacey won an Oscar for 1999’s American Beauty. There he acted as a 42-year-old advertising executive who had a midlife crisis when he became sexually infatuated with Suvari’s character who was his teenage daughter’s best friend.
The actress still had fond memories of filming the film with Spacey despite the allegations. She shared that the opportunity to work on the movie was special and beautiful.
Allegations against Spacey were first brought forward in October last year by actor Anthony Rapp. He accused Spacey of previously making inappropriate sexual advances toward him when he was just 14-years-old.
“I think with everything that I’ve been seeing that everyone’s been going through, it’s shocking. It’s really heart-wrenching.”
Mena Suvari, Megyn Kelly Today, June 5, 2018
In a Buzzfeed interview, Rapp claimed that he had gone to a party in Spacey's Manhattan apartment in 1986 when he was a teenager. He and the actor had spent most of the evening in a bedroom, watching TV.
Rapp eventually realized he was alone with the movie star as the night progressed. Just when he was about to leave, Spacey lifted him up and lay on top of him.
Several more people have accused the actor of sexual harassment or assault since. In April this year, one sexual assault case against the star which took place in October of 1992 in West Hollywood involving a male adult, was turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for further review.
Scotland Yard also currently has several open investigations into alleged assaults by Spacey in London. Spacey has since been fired from the final season of his Emmy-winning Netflix drama, House of Cards.
The star apologized in a statement for what he was accused of and even came out as gay. For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa.
