During an emotional revelation in a New York courtroom, actor Kevin Spacey tearfully disclosed that his father’s white supremacist and neo-Nazi views led him to wait until the age of 58 to come out as gay.
Spacey made these revelations while denying accusations of making unwanted sexual advances toward actor Anthony Rapp when Rapp was a teenager, as he testified in a civil court case in New York.
Spacey, 63, shared that as a child, his father, Thomas Fowler, would subject him to hours of racist and homophobic lectures, calling him derogatory names. This tumultuous upbringing instilled in him a deep aversion to bigotry and intolerance.
He expressed his fear of bringing friends home due to his father’s extreme views and the subsequent impact on his personal life and development.
Spacey recounted the challenging dynamics of his family, stating that his father’s unemployment led to the constant exposure to his father’s damaging ideologies.
Despite the turmoil, Spacey acknowledged the influence of his mother, Kathleen Fowler, who fostered his love for music and movies and ultimately ignited his passion for acting.
Spacey also attributed his acting pursuits to his friend Val Kilmer and revealed that he only came out as gay in 2017 due to the lasting impact of his tumultuous childhood.
His testimony shed light on the profound impact of his father’s beliefs on his personal and professional life, detailing the turmoil and struggle he faced in embracing his identity amidst adversity.
