Family Guy made a risque joke about Kevin Spacey more than a decade before the Oscar-winner was accused of attempting to seduce a 14-year-old actor in the 1980s.
The gag, which appeared in season four of the animated comedy in 2005, showed baby Stewie running naked through a shopping mall shouting ‘Help! I’ve escaped from Kevin Spacey’s basement!’
That clip has now resurfaced in the wake of actor Anthony Rapp’s claims that Spacey made sexual advances toward him in 1986, when he was just 14.
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has not yet commented on the joke.
But it’s not the first time that MacFarlane has hinted at sexual abuse in Hollywood through humor.
Seth MacFarlane’s (left) Family Guy made a joke about Kevin Spacey (right) more than a decade before the Oscar-winner was accused of attempting to seduce a 14-year-old actor in the 1980s
The Family Guy clip showed baby Stewie running naked through a shopping mall shouting ‘Help! I’ve escaped from Kevin Spacey’s basement’
The actor and director had made a joke about Harvey Weinstein – who has been accused of sexual abuse and harassment by multiple high profile stars – while announcing the 2013 Oscar nominees.
MacFarlane and Emma Stone had just finished announcing the nominees in the Best Supporting Actress category when MacFarlane said: ‘Congratulations, you five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein.’
The Ted star has since said the quip ‘came from a place of loathing and anger’ and ‘there is nothing more abhorrent and indefensible than abuse of power such as this.’
The new allegations against Spacey were made by Rapp, who is openly gay, in a story that was published byBuzzFeed News on Sunday. Hours later Spacey issued a statement via hisTwitter account.
He is accused of ‘laying down on top’ of Rapp at a 1986 party when the Star Trek actor was 14 and said: ‘He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.’
Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp (left) accused Hollywood A-lister Spacey (right) of making a sexual advance toward him when he was aged 14. Rapp told to BuzzFeed News that he met Spacey in 1986 while they both appeared in different Broadway shows
Spacey issued a statement (above) via his Twitter account after Rapp’s claims were made public. The 58-year-old actor said he doesn’t remember the encounter and apologized. He also said he chooses now to ‘live as a gay man’
The Oscar winner has apologized for ‘what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior’, although he said he didn’t remember it.
The House of Cards star also revealed that he has had relationships with men and women throughout his life, but now chooses ‘to live as a gay man’.
Actress Rose McGowan, who has accused Harvey Weinsten of raping her, has led a backlash with many accusing him of coming out to divert attention from making a sexual pass at then child star Mr Rapp.
MailOnline can also reveal the Oscar-winning star was accused of assaulting the loved-one of a TV journalist two weeks ago as Spacey suggested there could be more ‘stories’ about him to emerge.
He told BuzzFeed News that Spacey then picked me up. But I don’t, like, squirm away initially, because I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he lays down on top of me.’
‘He was trying to seduce me,’ he added.
Rapp alleged that Spacey, who is now a two-time Academy Award winner, was ‘was, like, pressing into’ him and ‘tightening his arms.’
‘It was a frozen moment,’ Rapp told BuzzFeed News. ‘In terms of fight or flight or freeze, I tend to freeze.’
This isn’t the first time Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has hinted at hidden sexual abuse in Hollwood. MacFarlane (above at the 2013 Oscars) revealed in a message posted to Twitter that he learned about Harvey Weinstein’s ways from Jessica Barth, his co-star in the ‘Ted’ films
Mad: ‘Make no mistake, this came from a place of loathing and anger,’ said MacFarlane of his 2013 joke during the Oscar nominations
Rapp said he was able to ‘wriggle’ away after some time and went into the bathroom where he shut the door.
‘I was like, ‘What is happening?” he told BuzzFeed News. ‘I saw on the counter next to the sink a picture of him having his arm around a man.
‘So I think on some level I was like, ‘Oh. He’s gay. I guess.’ Then I opened the door, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to go home now.’ He followed me to the front door of the apartment, and as I opened the door to leave, he was leaning on the front door[frame]. And he was like, ‘Are you sure you wanna go?’ I said, ‘Yes, good night,’ and then I did leave.’
Rapp, who was most famously part of the original cast of the musical Rent, said he feels lucky nothing more happened during that night.
He said he thought about reaching out to Spacey, 58, following the alleged incident, but ultimately decided against it.
Rapp, who is now 46 years old, said he decided to come forward following the dozens of sexual harassment and misconduct claims against Harvey Weinstein and others in the industry.
Weinstein has since been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting multiple women including Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Cara Delevigne
‘Not to simply air a grievance, but to try to shine another light on the decades of behavior that have been allowed to continue because many people, including myself, being silent… I’m feeling really awake to the moment that we’re living in, and I’m hopeful that this can make a difference,’ Rapp told BuzzFeed News.
Rapp has not commented on Spacey’s statement. But some Twitter users have accused Spacey of coming out as gay to excuse the alleged incident and change the focus.
Author and journalist Dan Savage tweeted: ‘Nope to Kevin Spacey’s statement. Nope. There’s no amount of drunk or closeted that excuses or explains away assaulting a 14-year-old child.’
Actor and comedian Billy Eichner tweeted: ‘That Kevin Spacey statement. Nope. Absolutely not. Nope.’
Rapp (right) is not the only one to accuse Spacey (left) of harassing him
In 1986, Rapp (bottom left in left) was starring in Precious Sons and Spacey (bottom left in right) was in Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Former US news anchor Heather Unruh said the Weinstein scandal had given her the courage to accuse Kevin Spacey, 58, of attacking a loved one
Others have today claimed that Spacey acted inappropriately while working at the Old Vic in London
Actress Rose McGowan chimed in and tweeted: ‘Bye bye, Spacey goodbye, it’s your turn to cry, that’s why we’ve gotta say goodbye. #ROSEARMY’
Former US news anchor Heather Unruh said the Weinstein scandal also had given her the courage to accuse theHouse of Cards star, 58, of attacking someone close to her.
Ms Unruh made her damaging claims more than two weeks before Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp got an apology after he said the actor tried to seduce him when he was just 14.
She tweeted a picture of Spacey on October 13 with the message: ‘The #weinsteinscandal has emboldened me … I was a Kevin Spacey fan until he assaulted a loved one. Time the dominoes fell’.
Ms Unruh has declined to give any more details about the alleged incident only adding: ‘My intent was to encourage a badly needed investigation and conversation’ and used the hashtag #It’sNotOk.
Some Twitter users have accused Spacey of coming out as gay to excuse the alleged incident and change the focus
‘Feels kinda gross that you’re turning a story that should be about the victim (s)…into a story about you? Congrats on coming out, I guess?’ Twitter user @jordandiamonds wrote in response to Spacey’s tweet
Actor and comedian Billy Eichner tweeted: ‘That Kevin Spacey statement. Nope. Absolutely not. Nope’
Actress Rose McGowan chimed in and tweeted: ‘Bye bye, Spacey goodbye, it’s your turn to cry, that’s why we’ve gotta say goodbye. #ROSEARMY’