Spacey told Channel 12 that he has always felt an affinity for Israel and saw echoes of the boycott calls in his own experiences being shunned as he tries to make a return to public life, following eight years of accusations of sexual misconduct.<\/p>\n
Beginning in 2017, Spacey was accused by dozens of men of sexual misconduct of varying degrees, and multiple legal cases were filed against him.<\/p>\n
\t He was acquitted in two cases of charges of sexual misconduct, one in 2022 in New York after actor Anthony Rapp accused him of committing battery in 1986, when Rapp was 14, and the other in 2023, when a UK court found Spacey not guilty on nine charges of sexual assault.<\/p>\n When the accusations emerged, the Academy Award-winning actor, known for films such as \u201cThe Usual Suspects\u201d and \u201cAmerican Beauty\u201d and the TV series \u201cHouse of Cards,\u201d saw his career come to a halt.<\/p>\n He lost his role in Netflix\u2019s \u201cHouse of Cards\u201d and was ordered to pay some $30 million in damages to the streaming giant.<\/p>\n Spacey said in the Channel 12 interview that he was putting the last eight years behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always tried to be a decent person who enjoys working with others, but I think what has always driven me is my ambition,\u201d said Spacey. \u201cFor a long time, I was determined to prove that I was the best actor \u2014 that\u2019s what I really wanted. But you have to ask yourself questions: Did I handle the situation in the best possible way? Was I impatient? Did I treat that person with kindness and understanding?\u201d<\/p>\n \t Spacey said he reached out to many people who experienced inappropriate behavior from him. He has also maintained throughout that the\u00a0criminal charges against him were baseless.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in a place where I have nothing to hide,\u201d said Spacey.<\/p>\n When Spacey was shunned by most in the global entertainment industry, he was welcomed in Israel, a place he said has been important to him for a long time.<\/p>\n During the interview, Spacey showed a ring gifted to him by his Jewish manager, engraved in Hebrew with the words \u201cThis too shall pass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think one of the things I admire most about Israelis is that people always look forward,\u201d said Spacey. \u201cThat\u2019s why I don\u2019t focus on endings \u2014 I focus on beginnings.\u201d<\/p>\n Spacey said he first visited Israel in 1986 and returned last year, touring many of the sites attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023.<\/p>\n \t During last year\u2019s visit, he also gave an acting master class at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in Tel Aviv, working with students on classical monologues.<\/p>\n Spacey described the workshop, in which each\u00a0of the 60 students performed their monologue in Hebrew, as \u201cextraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t speak Hebrew, but it was so amazing because they were so determined, so motivated, and it made me feel like I got a small glimpse into the resilience of Israeli citizens. I felt lucky that day,\u201d said Spacey.<\/p>\n Spacey reflected on the boycotts that Israel has experienced as a result of the war against Hamas in Gaza and said he has endured similar distancing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve learned that people often make decisions based on what they think they know at the time,\u201d said Spacey. \u201cAnd when they learn more, when they get more information, they might discover that things aren\u2019t what they thought. I don\u2019t believe in silencing dialogue. I oppose silencing anyone, whoever they may be.\u201d<\/p>\n Spacey appears to be seeking a comeback after his acquittals.<\/p>\n \t He was honored at a benefit gala in Cannes, France, in May, during the film festival there.<\/p>\n He also appeared at the Venice Film Festival in September to promote his directorial comeback, \u201cHoliguards Saga \u2013 The Portal of Force,\u201d a sci-fi project produced by a Ukrainian producer and entrepreneur.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tUS actor Kevin Spacey leaves United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 20, 2022, in New York City (Yuki IWAMURA \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP17304646062462-e1509555693258.jpg\")
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\n\t\tThis image released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey in a scene from \u2018House Of Cards.\u2019 (David Giesbrecht\/Netflix via AP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/F241203CG125.jpg\")
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\n\t\tActor Kevin Spacey visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City. December 3, 2024.(Chaim Goldberg FLASH90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25243645144599.jpg\")
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\n\t\tKevin Spacey poses on the red carpet for the film \u2018Father Mother Sister Brother\u2019 during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino\/Invision\/AP)<\/p>\n
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