Royal Court Theatre boss Vicky Featherstone: There were 'concerns' about Kevin Spacey for years

The artistic director of London’s Royal Court Theatre said those in the acting industry heard "many stories about many people" when asked about allegations against Kevin Spacey.

Vicky Featherstone also hailed the bravery of alleged victims of Harvey Weinstein as “opening floodgates” for people to speak out against stars.

When asked if she had heard claims the House of Cards had assaulted then 14-year-old Anthony Rapp, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: "I think that many people in the theatre and in the creative industries have been aware of many stories of many people over a lot of years, and Kevin Spacey would be one of the people that people have had concerns about, yes," she said.

Rapp, 46, made the allegation in an interview with BuzzFeed News, claiming the incident happened during a party when he was 14 and Spacey was 26.

“He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold,” Rapp said, adding that the pair had been alone in Spacey’s bedroom.

“But I don’t, like, squirm away initially, because I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he lays down on top of me. He was trying to seduce me.”

Spacey, who was artistic director of the Old Vic in London from 2004 to 2015, apologised for “what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour” in a statement on Twitter, in which he also came out as gay.

The 58-year-old said he was “beyond horrified” at the allegation

On Monday, just hours after Rapp made the accusations, Ms Featherstone, praised alleged victims of sex assault for speaking out and said it marked “a very important moment for us all throughout society, not just in our industry.”

Spacey’s tenure at The Old Vic hit the headlines in 2004, a year after he joined, when he reported to police that he had been attacked in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park in Lambeth, south London, at around 4am on a Saturday morning.

He later dropped the complaint, saying that a youth had conned him into handing over his mobile while he was walking his dog and that he injured himself when he tripped over his pet as he chased the youth.

Actress Rose McGowan alleged that she was offered $1 million by Harvey Weinstein to stay silent about her claim that she was raped by the filmmaker at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997.

“I figured I could probably have gotten him up to three. But I was like - ew, gross, you’re disgusting, I don’t want your money, that would make me feel disgusting,” said the Charmed TV actress.