Photo Credit: Shutterstock
A man who accused Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting him when he was 14 years old can no longer proceed in court anonymously, a judge ruled Monday.
The $40 million lawsuit came to fruition after the man — only identified as “C.D.” in court documents — said he met Spacey during the early 80s while he was a student in the infamous actor’s class. At 14, C.D. began a sexual relationship with Spacey, according to court documents. In September 2020, the man filed a lawsuit against the actor in New York state court under his current pseudonym.
However, Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ruled that C.D. can no longer proceed anonymously in court because the public has a legitimate interest in knowing the man’s identity, and “that interest is magnified because C.D. has made his allegations against a public figure.”
Additionally, the judge claimed that protecting C.D.’s privacy could deter more people with information about Spacey from coming forward.
In a memorandum opinion reported by Deadline, Judge Kaplan wrote that the “evidence suggests that C.D. knowingly and repeatedly took the risk that any of these individuals at one point or another would reveal his true identity in a manner that would bring that identity to wide public attention, particularly given Spacey’s celebrity.”
Now, the man has 10 days to reveal his identity, or else the case cannot go forward. However, C.D.’s attorney recently told the court that “he is emotionally unable to proceed with the action and will discontinue his claims” should the court deny his motion to proceed anonymously.
This news follows the 2017 allegations made by Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp, who joined C.D. in the lawsuit against Spacey. Rapp accused Spacey of making sexual advances toward him while he was 14, according to the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard officers who investigated Spacey regarding six other sexual assault allegations have reported their findings to Crown Prosecution Service last week.
