Anthony Rapp testifies that alleged assault by Kevin Spacey was the 'most traumatic single event' of his life - NBC News

"Star Trek: Discovery" histrion Anthony Rapp testified Wednesday that the infinitesimal Oscar-winning histrion Kevin Spacey allegedly climbed connected apical of him astatine a New York City enactment successful 1986 was "the astir traumatic azygous lawsuit of my life" and caused "lingering impacts."

Rapp, sitting connected the witnesser basal for the 2nd time of testimony, told jurors that reminders of Spacey consciousness similar being poked with a "cattle prod," adding that helium is sometimes plagued by "disturbing, invasive" thoughts astir the alleged incidental successful Spacey's apartment.

Spacey denies Rapp's allegation. Rapp was 14 astatine the clip of the alleged brushwood and Spacey was 26.

Rapp alleges that helium archetypal met Spacey erstwhile they were each acting successful Broadway shows successful 1986 — Rapp with Ed Harris successful "Precious Sons," and Spacey alongside Jack Lemmon successful "Long Day's Journey into Night." Rapp claims Spacey invited him to a enactment astatine his apartment.

Kevin Spacey leaves the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York connected Oct. 6, 2022. Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

The younger histrion alleges that helium did not admit anyone astatine the party, truthful helium went into a chamber to ticker TV. Rapp testified that astatine immoderate point, an seemingly drunk Spacey entered the room, lifted him up, placed him connected a furniture and rested his assemblage connected apical of him.

Rapp is seeking $40 cardinal successful damages.

Jennifer Keller, 1 of Spacey's lawyers, cross-examined Rapp for a 2nd time Wednesday. She sought to represent Rapp arsenic a bitter, struggling histrion who was envious of Spacey's occurrence and jealous of his accolades, including his 2 Oscars and 1 Tony Award.

Rapp tried to rebut that representation during redirect introspection from his pb attorney, Peter Saghir, testifying that portion it "would surely beryllium nice" to triumph a Tony, helium places a greater premium connected being a "working actor" progressive successful "projects I attraction about."

"I ne'er wanted Kevin Spacey's career," Rapp told jurors. "I wanted my career."

Rapp appeared to combat backmost tears erstwhile Saghir asked him if helium has lied astir his allegations. "I person not," Rapp replied. "It was thing that happened to maine and it was not okay."

The remark came a time aft Rapp admitted nether oath that 1 of his publically stated reasons for sharing his allegations with a reporter for BuzzFeed News was not true.

Rapp’s lawyers said successful their opening connection past week that helium was inspired to stock his allegations with newsman Adam B. Vary after speechmaking an nonfiction successful which Oscar-winning histrion Lupita Nyong’o elaborate a intersexual harassment assertion against Harvey Weinstein, who has denied each allegations of misconduct.

But a screenshot of a substance connection produced by Spacey’s lawyers Tuesday seemingly showed that Rapp archetypal contacted Vary 8 days earlier, penning successful part: “I americium wanting to talk retired astir idiosyncratic other precise almighty successful the industry.”

Nyong’o wrote astir her allegations against Weinstein successful an essay published successful The New York Times on Oct. 19, 2017, according to a timestamp connected the publication’s website. The paper published its first probe of Weinstein‘s signifier of intersexual misconduct connected Oct. 5, 2017.

Rapp’s substance connection to Vary was sent connected Oct. 11, 2017, according to a screenshot shown to jurors connected Tuesday.

Rapp did not quality the accuracy of the substance message, but successful grounds Wednesday helium attempted to relationship for the evident discrepancy.

He testified that portion helium recognizes that Nyong'o's effort was published earlier the BuzzFeed article, her nonfiction "cemented and confirmed" his involvement successful giving an interrogation astir his alleged brushwood with Spacey.

Rapp claimed that his archetypal substance connection to Vary was the opening of an "exploratory" speech astir however the reporting process would work. He testified connected Tuesday that helium was not progressive successful the work process and did not spot a draught of the nonfiction earlier it was published.

Spacey's ineligible squad has attempted to gully retired different discrepancies successful Rapp's relationship of events. Rapp testified that helium recalls the alleged battle taking spot successful a bedroom, for example, but Spacey's lawyers assertion their lawsuit lived successful a workplace flat without a chamber successful 1986.

Rapp testified that helium has shared his Spacey allegation with friends implicit the years, but helium does not cognize "the number" of radical helium has told. He testified that helium ne'er reported his allegation to the constabulary oregon immoderate instrumentality enforcement agency.

Rapp explained that portion helium was precise adjacent with his parent increasing up, helium did not archer her astir his alleged brushwood with Spacey due to the fact that helium did not privation her to "worry" oregon enactment limits connected his independency portion they were surviving unneurotic successful New York.

He besides said that helium did not see the allegation successful his memoir, "Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent," published successful 2006.

He told jurors that the publication was narrowly "centered" connected his experiences acting successful the archetypal Broadway formed of the philharmonic "Rent" arsenic good arsenic the decease of his mother.

In the afternoon, jurors heard grounds from Dr. Lisa Rocchio, a objective and forensic scientist who said she spent 9 and a fractional hours with Rapp and recovered nary grounds of "exaggeration" oregon "malingering," a lawsuit wherever a idiosyncratic feigns symptoms.

Rocchio testified that arsenic an teen successful the years aft the alleged encounter, Rapp experienced "shame, uncertainty and confusion" — feelings she said were accordant with idiosyncratic who was a unfortunate of puerility intersexual abuse.

She went connected to archer jurors that, successful 2017, Rapp "met the afloat DSMV-5 criteria" for post-traumatic accent disorder, oregon PTSD. She said his symptoms included "intrusive, unwanted thoughts" arsenic good arsenic "distress, affectional upset, sadness, choler and fear."

Spacey, wearing a acheronian grey suit and airy pinkish garment with an orangish patterned tie, listened intently during Rocchio's testimony.

Rocchio is expected to look cross-examination from Spacey's lawyers erstwhile the proceedings resumes connected Thursday morning.

Rapp is simply a bid regular connected the Paramount+ amusement "Star Trek: Discovery." Spacey's vocation came to an abrupt halt aft Rapp and different radical publically leveled intersexual misconduct allegations against him.