According to Kevin Spacey, He Was Raised by a Relentlessly Abusive Neo-Nazi Father

Kevin Spacey's father apparently spent dinners making anti-semitic comments which terrified his children.

Jennifer Tisdale - Author
By

May 9 2024, Published 1:32 p.m. ET

Kevin Spacey attends the photocall for The Man Who Drew God movie at Cinema Adriano
Source: Getty Images

Kevin Spacey

As of the time of this writing, Kevin Spacey's X (formerly Twitter) timeline is mostly comprised of the actor retweeting support for the disgraced actor. He is especially fond of any language referring to what happened to him as a "witch hunt." The first allegations of abuse were lodged against him in October 2017 by actor Anthony Rapp who alleged Space y "made inappropriate sexual advances on him when he was 14 years-old," per PEOPLE.

Article continues below advertisement

Immediately following that accusation, Spacey apologized in a tweet and said he had no recollection of that encounter. He then revealed for the first time publicly that he was gay. This angered many people in and out of the LGBTQ community who felt that Spacey was perpetuating an old stereotype about gay men being predators. In an effort to further explain his behavior, Spacey's brother began speaking about their childhood, and in particular, their abusive father. Here's what we know.

Kevin Spacey; Randy Fowler
Source: Getty Images; YouTube/Idaho Statesman (video still)

(L-R): Kevin Spacey; Randy Fowler (Spacey's brother)

Article continues below advertisement

Kevin Spacey's brother spoke about their abusive childhood in 2004.

In 2004, Spacey's brother Randy Fowler spoke with the Mail on Sunday (via The Sun) about what life was like growing up in their home. Fowler said their father was a member of the American Nazi Party who would often trim his mustache to match that of Adolf Hitler's. He also alleged that their father frequently "raped and beat him," which caused Fowler to nickname their father The Creature.

"I grew up in a living hell. There was so much darkness in our home it was beyond belief. It was absolutely miserable," Fowler told the Mail on Sunday. He claimed that Spacey "tried to avoid what was going by wrapping himself in an emotional bubble. He became very sly and smart." The family moved often which made making friends difficult. It didn't help that Fowler said their father would rant and rave about how the "Holocaust was a lie and that Jews ran banks and Hollywood," during family dinners.

Article continues below advertisement

After this article came out, a spokesperson for Spacey denied having any knowledge of their father's abuse. "Kevin's brother's claim against his father is a very serious one and has been a difficult personal family matter," said the statement. "The family all feel deeply for his situation. Kevin has not experienced any of the distress that his brother describes as he has never been a victim of abuse and can only sympathize with him." Nearly 20 years later, Spacey was singing a different tune.

Kevin Spacey Signs Copies of his CD "Beyond The Sea" at Barnes And Noble, Chelsea in New York City
Source: Getty Images

Kevin Spacey in 2004

Article continues below advertisement

Kevin Spacey described his childhood as terrifying and humiliating.

The Daily Mail reported that during Spacey's 2022 civil lawsuit brought against him by Rapp, the House of Cards actor "broke down in sobs as has revealed his father was a white supremacist and neo-Nazi who would scream at him when he thought he was gay." This is of course more aligned with what his brother said back in 2004.

While on the stand, Spacey confirmed that he was on the receiving end of similar treatment from their father Thomas Fowler. He claimed that their dad "would call him a 'f----t' while lecturing him for 'hours and hours' about his racist and homophobic beliefs." Spacey said he was too frightened to bring friends home because he never knew what his father might say. After Spacey began dabbling in theater, he said his father would spend nights yelling at him over the mere thought that his son might be gay.

Report online or in-person sexual abuse of a child or teen by calling the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 or visiting childhelp.org. Learn more about the warning signs of child abuse at RAINN.org.

Advertisement
More from Distractify

Latest Human Interest News and Updates

    Opt-out of personalized ads

    © Copyright 2024 Distractify. Distractify is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.