Sally Greene, the Old Vic chief executive who hired Kevin Spacey as the theatre’s artistic director, has denied having known anything about his alleged sexual misconduct.
Greene, speaking for the first time since allegations were made against the actor, said it made her “sick to the stomach” to think people may have suffered harassment or abuse as a result of their association with the Old Vic.
The theatre is facing questions about how much was known among management and trustees about Spacey’s alleged behaviour during his 11 years in charge. Former employees have described it as an open secret.
A cascade of allegations have been made against Spacey about inappropriate sexual behaviour towards young men since Anthony Rapp, an actor now appearing in Star Trek: Discovery, accused Spacey of sexually assaulting him when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26.
In a statement, Greene said the allegations had “shocked and appalled me, and everyone who works within the entertainment and arts industry. There can be no place for this kind of behaviour within this or any other industry.”
She said: “I have championed the Old Vic for 20 years and it makes me sick to my stomach to think that people may have suffered from harassment or abuse as a result of their association with the theatre.”
Greene said that before the recent claims she had been “unaware of any allegations involving Kevin Spacey, or any form of sexual impropriety, whether connected to the Old Vic or not.”
Greene, a philanthropist and socialite, led the trust that saved the Old Vic as a theatre when it was bought for £3.5m in 1998. Her success in persuading Spacey to be artistic director from 2004 was widely praised.
Greene said she had only encountered Spacey at industry events prior to employing him and “had no knowledge whatsoever about any concerns regarding his behaviour”.
She said: “During Kevin Spacey’s time at the Old Vic, I was obviously pleased with the critically acclaimed performances he put on and appreciative of the added profile he brought to the theatre. However, our relationship was purely professional and I would not consider myself ever to have been close to him on a personal level.
“Given my wide business portfolio, in each of the venues with which I am involved I rely on having a professional team in place, who work diligently and tirelessly to handle day-to-day management. Had anyone raised any complaints with me about inappropriate or potentially unlawful behaviour, I would have acted swiftly to address them.”
The Old Vic has said it received no complaints about Spacey’s behaviour while he was in charge. It expressed “deep dismay” at the allegations and opened a confidential process for any complaints or concerns to be raised.
Many in the industry believe there are still question marks over the Old Vic’s accountability. The Stage, the industry’s trade newspaper, led last week’s print edition with six questions it said the board had to answer.
They included whether any trustees had been aware, to any degree, of actual or alleged improper or illegal conduct; how they could not have been aware given that the rumours were alleged to have been an open secret; and what systems had been in place to safeguard staff.
The newspaper also asked who the external advisers appointed to support the theatre’s complaints process were, what their remit was and whether they were independent.
Greene said the advisers were there “to review the theatre’s involvement with him [Spacey], respond to any complaints that emerge about his conduct and identify lessons that can be learned for the future. I cannot comment on that investigation while the process is ongoing, as I am rightly not in control of the investigation and do not want to risk prejudicing its findings.”
A spokeswoman for the Old Vic said they were not in a position to respond to the questions at the moment.
“We are in the process of completing the review. There are still people coming forward whose voices need to be heard. Our priority right now is to provide support to those affected and learn as much as we can about the issues being raised,” the spokeswoman said. “As soon as we are able, we will provide an update. I am hopeful it will be soon.”