Brenda Blethyn has defended the ‘great’ Oscar-winning Kevin Spacey, after he was cleared of a series of criminal charges.
Spacey was previously acquitted in criminal proceedings of several sexual offences alleged by four men between 2001 and 2013.
The actor, 66, has denied all allegations of inappropriate behaviour and criminal wrongdoing.
Brenda worked with Spacey when he directed her in the Bobby Darin biopic Beyond The Sea in 2004.
In a new interview, Brenda, 79, insisted ‘having an appetite is not a crime’ as she spoke of working with Spacey.
While touching on working with Harvey Weinstein, Brenda said: ‘I thought he [Weinstein] was a creep. He used to ring you up to make sure you were voting for him at nomination time.
Brenda Blethyn, 79, has defended the ‘great’ Oscar-winning Kevin Spacey , after he was cleared of a series of criminal charges (pictured in 2024)
Spacey, 66, was previously acquitted in criminal proceedings of several sexual offences alleged by four men between 2001 and 2013. The actor has denied all allegations of inappropriate behaviour and criminal wrongdoing.
‘It was really coercive. So I kind of believe those horrid things about him, but not about Kevin Spacey.’
Speaking of Spacey, she added: ‘He was great’
‘It’s such a tricky one because I think he had an appetite. That’s not a crime. If he did the things that he was accused of, that is horrendous. But he hasn’t been found guilty of any of them, and some of the people have withdrawn the accusations, and the man’s career is in ruins.
‘Having an appetite is not a crime; forcing it on someone is. But then, I’m female, so I don’t know, I saw no evidence of those horrendous things’, she told the Telegraph.
In an interview with former GB News presenter Dan Wootton last year, Spacey said: ‘I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions, but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologise to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me.’
Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, is known for the US adaptation of House Of Cards along with American Beauty.
His Academy Awards were for best supporting actor for The Usual Suspects in 1996 and best actor in 2000 for American Beauty, which also secured him a Bafta for leading actor.
Last April, the actor appeared to dismiss claims of inappropriate behaviour in Channel 4’s documentary as he praised the men in the show for their ‘great acting’.
Brenda worked with Spacey when he directed her in the Bobby Darin biopic Beyond The Sea in 2004 (pictured in the movie)
In a new interview, Brenda insisted ‘having an appetite is not a crime ‘ as she spoke of working with Spacey
Channel 4’s two-part series came nine months after Spacey was cleared of nine sexual assault charges and looked at fresh claims against him made by several men, ‘almost all of whom have never spoken before’.
It is said to take a ‘forensic look at a man who was once one of the most admired and respected actors in the world’.
But Spacey seemed to disregard the show as a work of fiction in a statement given to entertainment magazine Variety.
He said: ‘I’m honoured to be starring in my first film with Warner Brothers in many years. I hope the Academy takes note of some of the great acting by the lesser-known cast.’
In May 2024, he thanked his fellow actors for defending him amidst the sexual abuse allegations.
A raft of A-listers – including Liam Neeson and Sharon Stone – rallied around the Oscar-winning star to call for an end to his ‘seven year exile’.
The American Beauty actor went on NewsNation with Chris Cuomo to express his gratitude for the support he received from colleagues.
‘I’m enormously gratified that friends of mine who reached out to and that I’ve been speaking to for your years now have been motivated by this documentary that was put out.’
