Mena Suvari was "shocked" by the sexual assault allegations surrounding Kevin Spacey.
The 39-year-old actress starred with Kevin in 1999 movie ‘American Beauty’, and has admitted she found it "heart-wrenching" when the disgraced actor was accused by Anthony Rapp of having made inappropriate sexual advances toward him when he was just 14 years old.
She said: "I think with everything that I’ve been seeing that everyone’s been going through, it’s shocking. It’s really heart-wrenching.
"It’s important to focus on the conversation that’s happening and the healing, the victims – the right thing that’s to come out of this. That’s sort of what I try to hope for and focus on the most. It’s something that we’re truly changing and moving out of."
Despite the controversy surrounding the actor, Mena still looks back on her time working on ‘American Beauty’ – in which she played the best friend of Kevin’s teenage daughter, whom his character becomes infatuated with – with a smile.
Speaking during an appearance on ‘Megyn Kelly Today’ on Tuesday (05.06.18), she added: "For me, having the opportunity to work on ‘American Beauty’ was something that was so special and so beautiful. I was so young and was so grateful to have a job. And to be working with such experienced individuals. Everyone on that set was wonderful to me. I had a beautiful experience working on that film."
Kevin has remained out of the spotlight since allegations against him surfaced in October last year, but released a statement addressing the allegations in which he also came out as gay.
He said: "I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor. I’m beyond horrified to hear his story, I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.
"This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fuelled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy. As those closes to me know, in my life, I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic relationships with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behaviour."