Mom of Teen Allegedly Groped by Kevin Spacey Speaks Out Against Actor: 'He's a Predator' (2024)

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Heather Unruh, the former Boston TV news anchor who claimed Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted her then 18-year-old son at a Nantucket bar in July 2016, is hoping the allegations coming out against the Oscar-winning actor puts an end to Spacey’s alleged bad behavior.

“It’s more than a sex addiction, he’s a predator,” Unruh said of Spacey during a tearful sit down with NBC’s Today show that aired Thursday. “We want Kevin Spacey to be stopped, especially my son. He doesn’t want another young man to be injured.”

The mother of two, who appeared on Today with her daughter, first detailed the alleged incident during a press conference in Boston on Wednesday. Representatives for Spacey did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment in regards to Unruh’s allegations.

Retelling the alleged incident for NBC, Unruh said that her son was “completely star-struck” when he met Spacey at the Club Car restaurant and bar. Though underage, her son told Spacey he was of legal drinking age and proceeded to get drunk as the Usual Suspects star allegedly bought him drinks.

Soon thereafter, Unruh claims that Spacey allegedly stuck his hand inside her son’s pants and grabbed his genitals.

“There were a few red flags that in hindsight he can see probably should have raised his suspicion and set off alarms, but it wasn’t until Kevin Spacey put his hand inside his pants that he really knew he was in trouble,” Unruh said of her son, who is straight and has chosen to remain away from the cameras, asking his mother to speak out on his behalf instead.

“There was no consent, it made him incredibly uncomfortable,” Unruh continued. “He did try to shift his body because that’s the only thing he knew might help. But Kevin Spacey continued to put his hands back in his pants. And he was frozen, he just panicked.”

Stepping away to use the bathroom, Spacey — who had allegedly been trying to convince her son to come to a private afterparty — left her son alone. At that point, a woman in the bar approached her son and told him to run.

“I’m forever grateful to her,” Unruh said of the stranger. “We would be having a whole other conversation if she hadn’t stepped in.”

Her son then ran a mile to his grandmother’s house, and called Unruh. “My phone rings and he says to me, ‘Mom, Kevin Spacey tried to rape me,’ ” she recalled, tears rolling down her face. ‘That’s the hardest phone call I’ve ever taken.’

Unruh said her son chose not to report the alleged incident to police at the time out of fear and embarrassment. “He wasn’t ready,” she told Today.

At Wednesday’s press conference, she said she spoke to the Nantucket Sheriff herself and he encouraged her son to come forward with his story. Unruh said that last week her son filed a police report and handed over evidence to the Nantucket police. Unruh claimed that a criminal investigation has begun.

A Nantucket police spokesman told PEOPLE they “cannot confirm nor deny any such report was filed,” adding “reports of sexual assaults are confidential under [state law].”

A spokeswoman for The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, which represents Nantucket, told PEOPLE, “An individual has provided information to the Nantucket Police regarding an allegation of an indecent assault and battery. The individual is represented by an attorney. We are waiting to hear from him.”

She confirmed that the indecent assault and battery allegation is against Spacey.

Her son is one of 10 people who have come forward claiming Spacey made unwanted sexual advances towards young men over the years. The first allegation came to light after Star Trek: Discovery and Rent star Anthony Rapp, 46, claimed in an Oct. 29 BuzzFeed News report that Spacey made inappropriate sexual advances toward him at a private party in New York City in 1986. Spacey was 26 at the time and Rapp was 14.

“I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out, to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me,” Rapp said in a statement to PEOPLE.

In response to the report, Spacey tweeted a statement saying he didn’t remember Rapp’s alleged incident and apologized “for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” He also publicly came out as gay, which was met with criticism from prominent LGBTQ celebrities.

Spacey has not issued a response to any of the allegations beyond Rapp. Last week, a representative for the actor confirmed he was seeking treatment. “Kevin Spacey is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment,” said the representative in a statement. “No other information will be available at this time.”

RELATED VIDEO: Kevin Spacey Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By Eight ‘House Of Cards’ Employees: Report

Production on House of Cards has been indefinitely suspended since Oct. 31, and Netflix executives decided the streaming network won’t air new episodes if the actor remains involved in the series.

“Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey,” a rep for the network previously said in a statement to PEOPLE. “We will continue to work with [production company] MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show. We have also decided we will not be moving forward with the release of the film Gore, which was in post-production, starring and produced by Kevin Spacey.”

After Netflix issued the ultimatum, they released a new statement to PEOPLE saying the actor had been suspended.

“While we continue the ongoing investigation into the serious allegations concerning Kevin Spacey’s behavior on the set of House of Cards, he has been suspended, effective immediately,” the statement read. “MRC, in partnership with Netflix, will continue to evaluate a creative path forward for the program during the hiatus.”

Spacey’s role in the upcomingAll the Money in the World, set to hit theaters Dec. 22, has also been recast with actor Christopher Plummer.