Morrissey defends Kevin Spacey and questions Anthony Rapp’s sexual misconduct allegation in a recent interview with German publication Der Spiegel.
The 58-year-old former frontman of the Smiths explained that he is against sexual assault but thinks many victims only tell their stories because they are “disappointed” with the encounter.
“I hate rape, I hate assault, I hate people being forced into a sexual situation,” Morrissey says. “But in quite a few cases, you look at the situation and think that the people being described as victims are simply disappointed. In the whole history of Rock ‘n’ Roll there’ve been musicians who’ve slept with groupies. If you go through the history, almost everyone is guilty of sleeping with minors. Why don’t we throw everyone in jail?”
He went on to say that Spacey has been “unnecessarily attacked” and questioned Rapp’s allegation by saying the actor, who was 14 at the time, knew what would happen.
“You have to ask, where were the boy’s parents. You ask yourself, if the boy didn’t know what could happen. I don’t know what it was like for him but in my youth, I was never in a situation like that. Never. It was always clear to me what could happen. If you’re in someone’s bedroom, you have to know where it could lead. That’s why I don’t find the whole thing very believable. It seems to me Spacey has been unnecessarily attacked,” Morrissey continues.
Since Rapp released his account with Spacey numerous other victims have come forward with their own allegations. The Old Vic theater in London has now received 20 reports of misconduct involving Spacey, who was the theater’s former Artistic Director.
Morrissey also gave his input on Harvey Weinstein’s numerous sexual misconduct allegations saying that the victims wouldn’t have come forward if their encounters had helped them with their career.
“Those people knew exactly what would happen [when they went up to Weinstein’s hotel room], and they played along. Afterwards, they were embarrassed or they didn’t enjoy it,” Morrissey says. “And then they turn it around and say: ‘I was attacked, I was surprised, I was pulled into the room.’ But if everything went well, and it helped them to a big career, they wouldn’t be talking about it.”
