Actor Kevin Spacey has said he can relate to people who have lost jobs amid the coronavirus crisis because of his experience following the fallout of sexual assault allegations against him.
Spacey, 60, spoke of feeling his "world suddenly stop," adding that he thinks some of the "emotional struggles" he experienced are akin to those of workers struggling due to COVID-19.
"I don't often like to tell people that I can relate to their situation, because I think it undermines the experience that they may be having, which is their own unique and very personal experience," he told the Bits & Pretzels podcast.
"But in this instance I feel as though I can relate to what it feels like to have your world suddenly stop.
"And so while we may have found ourselves in similar situations albeit for very different reasons and circumstances I still believe that some of the emotional struggles are very much the same. And so I do have empathy for what it feels like to suddenly be told you can't go back to work or that you might lose your job and that it's a situation that you have absolutely no control over."
He spoke of how is world "completely changed" in the fall of 2017.
"My job, many of my relationships, my standing in my own industry were all gone in just a matter of hours," he said.
Spacey also commented on his feeling he "might never work as an actor again" after the allegations emerged in 2017.
Millions have lost work due to the outbreak of coronavirus across the United States, with many businesses struggling to function due to lockdown and distancing measures enacted in a bid to stop its spread.
There have been predictions the national unemployment rate will be at around 16 percent, though some have suggested it could be as high as 20.
Spacey's comments were shared in the podcast at the start of April, while there he also recorded himself making the statement.
Spacey, famed for his roles in films such as American Beauty and the political TV drama House of Cards, has faced several accusations of sexual assault, which he has denied.
He released a video on YouTube entitled "Let Me Be Frank", in which he spoke in the guise of the character Frank Underwood, who he played in House of Cards.
The video was shared on Christmas Eve 2018 and he spoke of people not believing "the worst without evidence."
A charge was brought against Spacey in regards to an allegation he assaulted an 18-year-old at a bar in Nantucket in 2016. However, these were dropped after the alleged victim refused to testify. Spacey had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Newsweek has contacted Spacey for further comment.
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