Kevin Spacey says he kept quiet about being gay because his dad was a ‘neo-Nazi’

Kevin Spacey says he was afraid to come out as gay because of his ‘white supremacist and neo-Nazi' father.

Variety reported that while testifying in a New York court yesterday (Monday, October 17) - where Spacey is facing a hefty USD $40 million (AUD$ 63m or £35m) lawsuit over alleged sexual misconduct against Anthony Rapp - the actor made shocking claims about his father.

“My father was a white supremacist and a neo-Nazi,” Spacey said of his father, Thomas Fowler. 

“I have never talked about these things publicly ever.”

He added that he was ‘terrified’ of him growing up and was forced to listen to his racist and homophobic rants.

As the American Beauty actor maintained that he never sexually assaulted Rapp, he began to get teary-eyed while also hitting back at claims that he was a ‘fraud’ because he wasn’t openly gay.

“To call someone a fraud is to say someone is living a lie,” Spacey said. 

“I wasn’t living a lie.

"I was just reluctant to talk about my personal life.”

Before the actor took the stand, Spacey and his legal team scored a significant win after US District Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed the emotional distress charges; however, Spacey’s battery charges remain intact.

The Baby Driver actor was first accused of sexual assault in October 2017, when Rapp alleged he climbed onto him, pushed him onto a bed and made sexual advances, as per Rolling Stone.

At the time, Rapp was only 14, and Spacey was 26.

Following the claims, Spacey, who had never commented on his sexuality before, issued a statement apologizing to the actor while publicly coming out.

He wrote in part: "I honestly do not remember the encounter ... But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior."

He added: "I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man."

However, his statement sparked immense backlash, as many criticized the 63-year-old for coming out to deflect from the allegations.

Comedian and actor Wanda Sykes tweeted: “No no no no no! You do not get to ‘choose’ to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks!”

No no no no no! You do not get to “choose” to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks! https://t.co/xJDGAxDjxz

— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) October 30, 2017

Nope to Kevin Spacey's statement. Nope. There's no amount of drunk or closeted that excuses or explains away assaulting a 14-year-old child.

— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.

— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 30, 2017

Understanding what was being said, it was frustrating that the immediate harm being addressed was what abuse could mean for my sexuality. It made me realize it’s because people think sexuality and abuse go hand-in-hand. That’s not how it works for many.

— Preston Mitchum, he/him (@PrestonMitchum) October 30, 2017

While activist and attorney Professor Preston Mitchum accused Spacey of perpetuating harmful stereotypes against queer men.

He wrote: “Understanding what was being said, it was frustrating that the immediate harm being addressed was what abuse could mean for my sexuality. 

“It made me realize it’s because people think sexuality and abuse go hand-in-hand. That’s not how it works for many.”