The Old Vic Theatre in London has received 20 allegations of inappropriate conduct against Kevin Spacey during his 11-year tenure as artistic director, Deadline reports.
Citing the “cult of personality” that surrounded Spacey during his time at the Old Vic, the theatre has released the results of its investigation, which was conducted by a law firm. In October, the theatre set up an anonymous hotline for former and current staff and actors to speak out freely. Per the investigation, “16 staff and four others came forward with a number of allegations against Spacey between 1995 and 2013.” Most of these allegations occurred before 2009, and, per the report, none of these people took any legal action against Spacey.
A statement from the theatre acknowledged that Spacey’s star power might have made reporting any possible misconduct difficult. “During his tenure, The Old Vic was in a unique position of having a Hollywood star at the helm around whom existed a cult of personality,” it reads. “The investigation found that his stardom and status at The Old Vic may have prevented people, and in particular junior staff or young actors, from feeling that they could speak up or raise a hand for help.”
While the specific nature of the allegations is not known, the Guardian reports that 14 of the allegations were so serious that those reporting them were advised to go to the police.