Arts & Entertainment
More sexual harassment allegations emerge against Kevin Spacey
three men have come forward with stories about the ‘House of Cards’ star
(Screenshot via YouTube.)
Kevin Spacey is facing more sexual harassment allegations as other men come forward with their stories.
Filmmaker Tony Montana, Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos and an actor, who is remaining anonymous, have all alleged that Spacey made unwanted advances towards them.
Montana told Radar Online that Spacey allegedly grabbed his crotch at a bar in Los Angeles in 2003.
“I went up to order a drink and Kevin came up to me and put his arm around me,” Montana, who was in his 30s at the time of the incident, says. “He was telling me to come with him, to leave the bar. He put his hand on my crotch forcefully and grabbed my whole package. I put my hand down and turned his thumb back to get his hand off it. I paid for my drink and got away from him.”
Cavazos wrote a Facebook post claiming he had “a couple of nasty encounters with Spacey that were on the verge of being called harassment” in London. Spacey served as artistic director at The Old Vic theater from 2004-2015. Cavazos claims Spacey’s attraction to younger men became a running joke at the theater.
“It was so common that it became a local joke (in poor taste),” Cavazos wrote. “It seems the only requirement was to be a male under the age of 30 for Mr. Spacey to feel free to touch us.”
The Old Vic has released a statement saying it is is “deeply dismayed” about the allegations against Spacey.
“We want our employees to feel confident, valued and proud to be part of The Old Vic family. Any behavior we become aware of which contravenes these goals will not be tolerated,” the statement reads.
The theater has set up a confidential email address for employees to address any concerns.
The BBC reports an anonymous actor also alleges that Spacey made unwanted advances on him in the ’80s.
The actor claims Spacey invited him to spend a weekend in New York and asked him to share a bed. He declined and slept on the sofa but woke up to find Spacey sleeping with his arms around him in his underwear.
“I was uncomfortable at best, traumatized at worst,” the actor recalls.
These additional allegations come in the wake of “Star Trek: Discovery” star Anthony Rapp’s claim that Spacey sexually harassed him when the actor was just 14 years old.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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