Sir Ian McKellen ‘waiting’ for sexual misconduct accusations against him
Sir Ian McKellen said the allegations against Kevin Spacey and Bryan Singer were down to them staying in the closet (National Student Pride)
Sir Ian McKellen has said he is “waiting for someone to accuse me” of sexual misconduct.
McKellen was being interviewed by BBC Radio 4 presenter Evan Davis at the National Student Pride on Saturday (February 23), when he was asked about the sexual abuse allegations surrounding director Bryan Singer and actor Kevin Spacey.
The openly gay British actor said: “Well frankly, I’m waiting for someone to accuse me of something, and me wondering whether they’re not telling the truth and me having forgotten.”
Watch Sir Ian McKellen speaking about sexual misconduct allegations:
The 79-year-old Lord of the Rings star told his interviewer that the allegations against Singer and Spacey were down to them coming out later in life.
“Both of them were in the closet,” McKellen told the audience at the University of Westminster in London.
“I’m waiting for someone to accuse me of something.”
— Sir Ian McKellen
“And hence all their problems as people and their relationship with other people.
“If they had been able to be open about themselves and their desires, they wouldn’t have started abusing people in the way they’ve been accused.”
Sir Ian McKellen weighed in on whether Bryan Singer and Kevin Spacey should work again (National Student Pride)
Singer revealed he was bisexual in 2014. The 53-year-old director behind the award-winning Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight men—all of which he denies.
“If they had been able to be open about themselves and their desires, they wouldn’t have started abusing people in the way they’ve been accused.”
— Sir Ian McKellen about Bryan Singer and Kevin Spacey
Spacey came out as gay in 2017, after actor Anthony Rapp accused him of making sexual advances on him when the Star Trek: Discovery star was 14.
Dozens of sexual harassment and sexual assault claims have since been made against the former House of Cards star.
Sir Ian McKellen weighs in on whether Kevin Spacey and Bryan Singer should work again
McKellen addressed the issue of whether Singer and Spacey “should be forced to stop working,” telling the crowd: “Well, that’s debatable.”
He continued: “I rather think that’s up to the public. Do you want to see someone that’s been accused of something that you don’t approve of? Do you ever want to see them again?
“There may be others for whom that’s not a consideration, and it’s difficult to be exactly black and white.”
— Sir Ian McKellen about Bryan Singer and Kevin Spacey
“If the answer is no, you won’t buy a ticket, you won’t turn on the television.
“But there may be others for whom that’s not a consideration, and it’s difficult to be exactly black and white.”
Sir Ian McKellen has opened up about his parents
Last week, McKellen said that his “greatest regret” was not coming out to his parents.
Speaking to former Doctor Who actor David Tennant for his podcast, David Tennant Does a Podcast With, he said: “It’s the greatest regret of my life that I didn’t tell them.
“My mother died when I was 12, and my father when I was 24, so I didn’t talk to either of them about it.”
He added: “Yes. I remember a boy I was in love with at school. I went through a heterosexual phase when I was about 11, but that was the last time.”
