Brian Cox has come out in fierce support of his “old friend” Kevin Spacey, arguing that the downfall of his career should never have happened.
Once one of the most recognizable faces and names in Hollywood, the House of Cards star, 65, was exiled from the industry in 2017 after actor Anthony Rapp accused him of sexual abuse in 1986. Spacey would have been 26 at the time, while Rapp was 14.
Rapp’s allegations were later dismissed by a Manhattan court in 2022. Spacey has since faced several more allegations of sexual misconduct over the years, all of which he has either denied or insisted was consensual.
Addressing Spacey’s controversies in a new interview with the i, Cox, who co-starred with the Oscar-winning actor in the 1994 sports adventure Iron Will, said: “Kevin is an old friend of mine. All right, Kevin did certain things…”
“We all used to worry about Kevin,” the 78-year-old, Emmy-winning Succession star admitted.
“But at the same time, you don’t destroy a man’s career because of what he’s…,” Cox argued, trailing off. “He also did a lot of extraordinary work. And I find that really petty, and I just don’t like it. It’s sneaky and petty and not right.”
The Scottish actor continued, saying that he “never found Kevin Spacey abusive.”
“He was misguided, certainly, in terms of his sexuality,” Cox said, “but that’s to do with him coming to terms with his own sexuality and how he’s dealt with that, and the dilemma that it’s caused in his life. And I think that one is to try to understand where he’s coming from, and what that’s about.”
Spacey, who came out as gay in 2017 in response to Rapp’s allegations, was later accused of “insensitively” using his coming out as a way to “disguise” his alleged behavior.
Cox further raged at the concept of cancel culture, saying: “We’ve got to an age now, where people are going, ‘Oh, that’s bad, he’s out, boom, he’s canceled.’ What do you mean ‘canceled?’ How dare you cancel anybody?”
The Manhunter actor joins a slew of other A-listers, including Sharon Stone and Liam Neeson, who have previously called for Spacey to be allowed to resume his acting career.
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In 2023, Spacey stood trial in the U.K. after four men alleged that he had sexually assaulted them in separate incidents over the period between 2001 and 2013. He was again cleared of all nine offenses.
Earlier this week, Spacey was hit with another sexual abuse claim. Ruari Cannon is suing Spacey as well as two organizations connected to the Old Vic Theatre in London, with court records showing the claim was filed Wednesday. No details of the allegations involved are currently available.
