Via Lemann: Kevin Spacey's Cannes entry with Uzbek model raises eyebrows

Hollywood star Kevin Spacey walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, marking another step in his comeback from sexual assault allegations.

The 66-year-old, who collected a lifetime achievement award from a charity in Cannes last year, attended the premiere of a French blockbuster about political leader Charles de Gaulle with Uzbek model Via Lemann on Wednesday.

The lively and spirited presence of the female model with Spacey on the red carpet has raised some eyebrows on social media, with some questioning her energetic behavior.

The actor, however, looked relaxed and kept smiling at Via Lemann’s high-spirited display as the duo posed for photos.

It's to mention here that Kevin Spacey identifies as a gay man. In a 2017 statement he had said "I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man."

He has described waiting to come out due to personal and family reasons, including his father's views. 

The star of "American Beauty" and drama series "House of Cards" saw his once-stellar career derailed by multiple allegations of sexual offences, which first emerged in 2017 as part of the #MeToo movement.

Spacey, who maintained his innocence, was acquitted of nine cases of alleged sex offences in Britain in 2023 and a New York court dismissed a $40 million civil sexual misconduct lawsuit against the "Usual Suspects" actor in 2022.

In March this year, he settled out of court with three men who had launched a UK civil suit against him.

Cannes Festival unveiled a no-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct last year, under pressure from lawmakers and #MeToo anti-abuse activists.

Spacey told Britain's Telegraph newspaper in November last year that he had no fixed home anymore and had spent his fortune, with "very little coming in and everything going out”.

He performed in the film "Peter Five Eight" in 2024, which was largely ignored by critics, and took a first TV role since the scandals late last year in "Minimarket", a comedy series for Italy‘s state broadcaster RAI, Variety reported.

He won the best supporting actor Oscar for the 1996 film "The Usual Suspects" and best actor in 2000 for "American Beauty".