Kevin Spacey Nabs Guest Spot At Albuquerque Comic Con

Likely to the surprise of few, this decision by the Albuquerque Comic Con has been met with quite a deal of backlash. Many are already swearing to boycott the event and are encouraging other guests and vendors to do so as well. Critics of the decision feel that so much as attending an event where Kevin Spacey is present is thereby endorsing his alleged behavior.

It should be noted that a major factor that likely played into the decision to welcome Kevin Spacey to the event was his recent legal wins. Last year, a London court saw a jury acquit Spacey of nine counts against him pertaining to various acts of alleged sexual assault. Spacey was found not guilty on all counts following nearly a month of hearings. A year prior, a jury in New York also found Spacey not guilty in accusations of molesting actor Anthony Rapp.

The organizer of the Albuquerque Comic Con made it clear that these court decisions are good enough for him and that he feels Kevin Spacey’s name has effectively been cleared. “Albuquerque Comic Con tries to bring the largest and most diverse guest list to fans of comic books and film each year,” said producer Jim Burleson in a statement addressing the concerns.

“The inclusion of Kevin Spacey was based on all of his relevant work to pop culture. He was acquitted of the crimes he was accused of so we hope that our community will welcome him or at least accept the due process of our legal system.”

However, for many, there is still too much uncertainty around the situation of Kevin Spacey. The recent docuseries Spacey Unmasked delved further into the stories surrounding the actor, drudging up further doubts about whether the courts got it right. It is fair to say that for many in the court of public opinion, Kevin Spacey is someone still considered unworthy of having a public platform. However, there does seem to be growing division.

Kevin Spacey has once again begun receiving film roles, albeit in minor movies. And, he has also received support for his attempts at a comeback from many noteworthy names in the industry, including Stephen Fry, Liam Neeson, and Sharon Stone just to name a few. For some, there has evidently been enough doubt cast upon the situation that they are willing to give Spacey the benefit of the doubt.

While many detractors of Kevin Spacey will no doubt never be willing to look at him the same way again, Jim Burleson of the Albuquerque Comic Con has made it clear where he stands. Burleson has openly stated that he is willing to go to bat for Spacey and that he does not intend on letting naysayers dictate his decision.

“The ongoing attempts to personally cancel me by a rival production that has failed at shows is driving the movement to cancel me now,” Burleson said in response to the backlash he has gotten over Kevin Spacey. “I’m squarely against the idea of letting an angry mob determine what is or isn’t acceptable.”

The Albuquerque Comic Con is not until January of next year, so there is ample time for new developments in the story. Many are already lambasting the event, but other commenters on social media are applauding Burleson for not letting himself be pushed around. But for now it appears that Burleson is prepared to stick to his guns and stand by his decision to host Kevin Spacey regardless of whatever negative consequences it is sure to have.

Source: KRQE