Comic divide: Actor Kevin Spacey announcement has some ABQ comic con goers upset, others excited
The Albuquerque Comic Con draws attention every year for its celebrity guests.
Its next event is receiving some unwanted attention for one guest: actor Kevin Spacey. Event organizers announced Wednesday the controversial actor would be at the comic convention Jan. 17 through 19 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The announcement created a frenzy of posts to the event鈥檚 Facebook page, other social media platforms and area Reddit threads. The issue many commenters referred to was apprehension to inviting Spacey to the event because of multiple sexual misconduct accusations made against him beginning in 2017.
The allegations led to Spacey being terminated from the Netflix series 鈥淗ouse of Cards.鈥 Last year, Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault charges he faced in London. In 2022, he was found not guilty of molesting a teen actor who accused Spacey of abusing him in 1986.
Jim Burleson, organizer of the Albuquerque Comic Con, supports the decision to feature Spacey as a celebrity guest.
鈥淎lbuquerque Comic Con tries to bring the largest and most diverse guest list to fans of comic books and film each year,鈥 he said in a statement. 鈥淭he 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.鈥
Spacey is a two-time Academy Award winner who is known for his roles in the movies 鈥淪even,鈥 鈥淭he Usual Suspects,鈥 鈥淎merican Beauty,鈥 鈥淪uperman鈥 and 鈥淪uperman Returns.鈥 Spacey will be available for photo opportunities, autographs, meet and greets, and fan panels at Albuquerque Comic Con, according to the event鈥檚 Facebook page.
Many took to the Facebook page to voice their disdain for or support of Spacey. A number of commenters said they would skip the event because of Spacey鈥檚 attendance.
A commenter on Reddit posted, 鈥 That鈥檚 a giant nope from me and just another reason to boycott this con.鈥
Others supported Spacey and expressed excitement about getting to meet the actor. One commenter posted, 鈥淲hile what he has done in his personal life is not favorable, the movies and other projects he鈥檚 been in have all been pretty good. Let鈥檚 all try to separate the art from the person. That鈥檚 all I have to say.鈥
The thread on Reddit had more than 100 comments with some criticism.
鈥淭he ongoing attempts to personally cancel me by a rival production that has failed at shows is driving the movement to cancel me now,鈥 Burleson said in a statement. 鈥淚鈥檓 squarely against the idea of letting an angry mob determine what is or isn鈥檛 acceptable.鈥
Spacey鈥檚 representatives declined to comment for this story when contacted by the Journal.