CNN
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Anthony Rapp fought back tears in court on Friday as he testified in a civil trial against actor Kevin Spacey.
Rapp, best known for his role in “Star Trek: Discovery,” has sued Spacey for assault, battery and intentionally inflicting emotional distress over an alleged incident that Rapp has said took place in 1986.
He testified he was 14 and living in New York City, performing in the play “Precious Sons” around the time he met Spacey, who was then 26. Rapp testified he was “soaking up the opportunity to be a part of the theatre community” and attended industry events where he had seen Spacey.
Rapp testified that he and a friend attended a play that Spacey was performing in, met him backstage and that Rapp was later invited to Spacey’s home for a party.
Rapp said that during the party he went into Spacey’s bedroom because he was bored. As the party cleared out, Spacey appeared in the doorway, Rapp said. Spacey’s attorneys have shown a floorplan of the apartment he was living in at the time of the alleged incident, which indicated it was a studio apartment with no wall between the bedroom area and the living room.
Spacey picked him up, Rapp said, put his hand on his buttocks and laid him down on the bed.
“He climbed on top of me and he put his full weight on my chest, pressed into me with his chest. He was pressing his groin into my hip, the side of my hip,” Rapp testified.
Rapp said that he felt frozen.
“I didn’t shove him off. I squirmed my way out from underneath him,” Rapp testified.
He went to the bathroom to make sense of what had happened, Rapp testified, and eventually left the apartment and walked home.
“I don’t know what I did to invite him to climb on top of me and push his groin into me,” Rapp said.
He did not tell his mom what happened at the time, Rapp testified, because he didn’t want to worry her, to risk losing his independence and because he was concerned that she may not let him hang out with the theatre community that he so loved.
Rapp is expected to continue testifying when court resumes next Tuesday.
Spacey’s attorneys indicated in court Friday that they plan to file a Rule 50 motion, arguing that a reasonable jury does not have sufficient evidence to decide in favor of Rapp, and that the judge should make a judgment as a matter of law.
