Mumbai, Dec. 14 (IANS): The request of Anthony Rapp's attorneys to question actor Kevin Spacey about his sexual partners or allegations against him from anonymous accusers, has been turned down by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan.
The actor legal representatives argued that it would be improper for Rapp's lawyers to ask about his relationships with consenting adults.
In a lawsuit filed against the actor, Rapp has alleged that Spacey groped him and laid on top of him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 years old. In a ruling on Monday, the District Judge held that such inquiries could violate Spacey's and his sexual partners' right to privacy, as reported by Variety.
However, Rapp's lawyers will be able to ask questions to any accusers, who have publicly identified themselves provided they don't force Spacey to disclose details of anonymous claims or accusations that are not already public.
The judge wrote in his statement, "Any such Subject, and the defendant, have substantial privacy interests in their most intimate personal relationships that outweigh any legitimate interest of the plaintiff in pursuing those matters."
In addition, Rapp's attorneys won't be able to question Spacey about an ongoing police investigation in London. They have also been blocked from inquiring about accusations brought by an individual identified as 'C.D.' who anonymously joined Rapp in suing Spacey, but dropped out of the case after the judge ruled he could not proceed on anonymous grounds.
After Rapp first came forward in 2017 accusing Spacey of sexual misconduct, numerous allegations against the actor came to light. But most of the accusers have remained anonymous. Spacey has also been investigated in Los Angeles and criminally prosecuted in Nantucket, but those cases have each been dropped.