Brian Cox wants people to “forgive and forget” the allegations against actor Kevin Spacey.
The “Succession” star joined a chorus of fellow actors Monday who’ve previously called for Hollywood to welcome back Spacey, who fell from grace after numerous sexual misconduct accusations began to emerge in 2017. Cox said he recently met with Spacey.
“I just think Kevin had certain things which he couldn’t or didn’t admit to, and I think it was a strain on him in many ways,” Cox told The Hollywood Reporter. “And for me, that was Kevin’s only difficulty. But he’s a very fine actor, and I like Kevin a lot. He’s very funny.”
“I think he’s been through it,” he added. “He’s had the kicking that some people think he deserved. He’s ready to get back in the saddle again, and people are trying to stop him from doing that. And I really do go back to ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’”
Spacey, accused in 2017 of molesting a then-14-year-old actor in 1986, was found not liable by a New York jury in 2022. He was acquitted last year in London on nine charges of sexual assault involving four theater actors, but new allegations emerged earlier this year.
Spacey reacted to the 2017 accusation at the time by apologizing for “inappropriate drunken behavior” and by coming out as gay. In Cox’s 2022 memoir, according to THR, he called Spacey’s response a “big mistake” because it led to a loss of “support from the gay community.”
“Maybe he got too out of hand, but I don’t think he should be punished endlessly for it,” Cox told THR on Monday. “There should be a case of forgive and forget. Let’s move on. I think he should be given the opportunity to come back to work.”
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Cox has been outspoken in recent years, earning viral attention on social media for supporting Palestinians besieged by Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza, and he’s gained legions of younger fans in his 70s as a result of his performance as media mogul Logan Roy in the “Succession” TV series.
He also previously defended actor and comedian Bill Murray amid allegations of “inappropriate behavior,” however, he decried the backlash against “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling over her disparaging comments about the transgender community and, on Monday, said so-called cancel culture is “a virus.”
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.