On Sunday night, the world was stunned by accuations that screen icon Kevin Spacey had made sexual advances toward actor Anthony Rapp, who was just 14 at the time of the alleged incident.
Spacey issued a public apology in which he also came out as gay, a move that has only exacerbated the scandal.
Many feel the Oscar winner callously attempted to manipulate the conversation and re-focus the media’s attention on his sexual orientation.
Here are some of the most incendiary celebrity reactions to both the allegations against Spacey and the actor’s unexpected response:
Spacey Responds

Spacey issued a public response to Rapp’s accusation almost immediately. Unfortunately for the House of Cards star, many felt there was a deeply cynical motive behind his statement.
Spacey Misses the Point

âÂÂThis story has encouraged me to address other things about my life,â Spacey wrote in a statement posted to social media. “As those closest to me know, in my life I have had romantic relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.”
Anthony Rapp

The most important response, of course, came from Rapp. But the actor certainly wasn’t the only one who had thoughts to express about Spacey.
Rose McGowan

“Keep focus on #AnthonyRapp BE THE VICTIM’S VOICE,” wrote Rose McGowan. “Help us level the playing field.”
Billy Eichner

Comedian Billy Eichner says Spacey is a real innovator … just not in a good way.
Larry Wilmore

Larry Wilmore kept it simple, condemning Spacey’s statement as simply “wrong.”
Dan Savage

We’d have our internet slang license revoked if we didn’t refer to columnist Dan Savage’s reaction as “savage.”
Richard Lawson

“Coming out as a gay man is not the same thing as coming out as someone who preyed on a 14-year-old. Conflating those things is disgusting,” film critic Richard Lawson tweeted.
Wajahat Ali

As writer Wajahat Ali and many others have pointed out, Spacey also blamed alcohol for his actions.
Ben Shapiro

As writer Ben Shapiro points out, the timing of Spacey’s coming out literally couldn’t have been worse.
Julia Carrie Wong

“Part of the horror of spaceyâÂÂs cynical ploy to use his coming out to deflect abuse allegations is how well it is working,” tweeted Guardian reporter Julia Carrie Wong.
Wanda Sykes

Wands Sykes cordially invited Spacey to “kick rocks.”
Cameron Esposito

An important reminder from activist and podcast host Cameron Esposito.