Man claims Kevin Spacey groped him, became 'incredibly angry' when rejected

The list of men accusing Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct continues to grow.

In a new USA Today report published Friday, freelance marketing consultant Andy Holtzman claims Spacey groped him more than 30 years ago. Spacey was 22 at the time, while Holtzman was 27, working his first major job running the film program of the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Public Theater. USA Today reports Spacey was playing a minor role in Henry IV Part 1 when they crossed paths.

Per Holtzman, he was in his office when Spacey walked in and sat at an unoccupied desk. “Within minutes, wordlessly, he was up and all over me,” Holtzman told USA Today. “The aggression was certainly more than a grope. When I was finally able to push him off and scream [at him], he theatrically stepped back, incredibly angry, grabbed his coat and bag, stormed out and slammed the door.”

Holtzman, who is gay, recounted the experience as a “wordless” assault. “It’s never happened before or since, where somebody physically forces himself on you in a wordless way,” he explained. “In my office, with a phone in my hand, during the day! It was so out of place, so sudden. It was the wordlessness of it — he never spoke to me throughout, not one word. I was saying things, he was saying nothing.” Holtzman added that he was shaken by Spacey’s anger after he rejected him: “It was the look on his face that was really shocking and then scary.”

Holtzman’s story first surfaced on his private Facebook page; he subsequently told it exclusively to USA Today, making it the earliest claim of sexual misconduct by Spacey that has publicly surfaced so far, allegedly taking place in 1981.

Reps for Spacey did not immediately return EW’s request for comment.

In late October, actor Anthony Rapp alleged to BuzzFeed News that Spacey drunkenly initiated inappropriate sexual contact in 1986, when Rapp was just 14 years old and Spacey was 26. Since then, more than a dozen men have made similar claims against Spacey, including five who say they were underage at the time and others who worked with Spacey on House of Cards. Netflix has since fired Spacey from the Emmy-winning series; in addition, Ridley Scott is reshooting the role of J. Paul Getty, who Spacey originally played, with Christopher Plummer for the film All the Money in the World, which was already completed and is still eyeing a late December release date.

After Rapp’s allegation surfaced, Spacey issued a statement on Twitter saying he didn’t remember the incident and apologized “for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” He also came out as gay in the statement. Last week, Spacey announced he is seeking treatment.

Holtzman, who had for decades kept his story to himself and a few close friends, told USA Today he was inspired to make it public after Rapp came forward. “People ask [critically], why so many decades later are people coming forward — even I asked that,” he said. “I understand it so much clearer now. If it happens to you, it really changes the perspective. I feel a lot better now. I felt so alone at the time. Part of me feels vindicated now, to know there are a lot of us.”

Read Holtzman’s full story at USA Today.