The man who accused Kevin Spacey of sexual assault will not identify himself, setting up dismissal of his lawsuit
The civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey that alleges he sexually assaulted a teenager in the 1980s is expected to be dismissed after attorneys for the accuser on Thursday said he refused to identify himself.
A federal judge ruled last week that the man — identified in court documents as C.D. — who alleged Spacey sexually assaulted him when he was 14 must reveal his identity publicly.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan determined that the public has a legitimate interest in knowing the identity of the man, noting in this case “that interest is magnified because C.D. has made his allegations against a public figure.”
Attorneys for the accuser filed a letter Thursday in a New York court informing the judge of the decision and agreed to a dismissal of the case as it pertains to C.D.
“As we had previously informed the Court, C.D. believes he is unable to withstand the scrutiny and intrusion into his life if his identity is revealed in this matter,” attorneys Richard M. Steigman and Peter J. Saghir wrote.
“Indeed, even this Court’s decision itself on this issue has prompted multiple news reports in all forms of media, both nationally and internationally. The sudden unwanted attention that revelation of his identity will cause is simply too much for him to bear,” the attorneys said.
Actor Anthony Rapp, who joined C.D. in the civil lawsuit against Spacey, alleges the actor made unwanted sexual advances on him when he was 14, according to the lawsuit. The incident allegedly happened at the actor’s home in 1986.
The attorneys also wrote they intend to ask that C.D. be removed from the existing case with Rapp and pause that case while they appeal.
“We understand the defendant does not agree with either of our requests,” the attorneys wrote.
CNN has reached out to attorneys for Spacey for comment.
In 2017, Spacey apologized for what he said “would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior” after Rapp made the allegations, but said, “I honestly do not remember the encounter.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
