Kevin Spacey grew up and went to high school only a few miles from me. As close in geography as we might have been, we might as well have been from different planets. He was a theater nerd. I wasn’t.

Spacey went to work as an actor, and as his fame grew and roles increased, some of the friends I grew up with who were actors or were in “The Industry” knew him by reputation. He was someone to avoid if you were gay. Spacey, it seemed, had a reputation for being aggressive. Don’t take my word for it, Spacey has admitted to being a “big flirt,” which seems to be his euphemism for being a “creep.”

When Harvey Weinstein was finally brought down, it was no surprise to anyone in the business that the sexual predator, once outed by one woman, would be exposed by others. But there were other men caught up in the “Me Too” movement that were not predators. They were just men who got ensnared in the web. Kevin Spacey claimed he was one of those “just caught up” in the craze to root out predators. Six years ago, Spacey was at the height of his fame and fortune. Already a two-time Oscar winner, he was the star of “House of Cards.” He was living large. Then that house of cards came tumbling down. Spacey, it turned out, was a tyrant on the set and sexually aggressive around men. “Me Too” and Weinstein’s fall had made it OK to point out predators. And the “House of Cards” people pointed right at Spacey. Many of them weren’t just pointing out his creepy and aggressive behavior but also that he was a tyrant. The actor was fired from the show and sued for the production shutdown. The matter was submitted to an arbitrator who found for the studio and against Spacey. Spacey was ordered to pay $31 million. It seemed that the floodgates were open after the arbitrator’s award.

Spacey was then sued in New York by a man who claimed he was sexually battered by the star years before. There was an allegation in Los Angeles and another allegation in Massachusetts.

Last October, I wrote about the New York case. I think Spacey has amply demonstrated that he is, in my opinion, a creepy man, but the New York allegations were dubious at best. I wrote at the time that the facts didn’t support the accuser’s version, and Spacey was indeed found not liable.

His accuser in Massachusetts suddenly declined to press forward. The man in Los Angeles who claimed Spacey groped him during a massage died. It was like Spacey was a Clinton. Oddly, he’s close friends with the Clintons and has been an active Democrat donor.

But there was still the criminal complaint in London. Men had accused Spacey of sexual assault.

After a multi-day trial that saw Spacey give testimony, a jury found him not guilty. The AP described it in gushing prose like the journalist was writing fan mail to an idol:

A jury in London acquitted Kevin Spacey of sexual assault Wednesday after the Oscar winner’s star turn as a witness in his own defense spared him a possible prison term and offered him hope of a career comeback after six years without a job.

Tears rolled down Spacey’s cheeks as the final “not guilty” verdict was read. The Oscar winner looked at the jury, placed his hand over the lapel of his blue suit and pink shirt, and mouthed “thank you.” It was his 64th birthday.

With the confidence of a seasoned performer, Spacey took his seat in the witness box in what had to be the smallest stage of his career — a laminated oak desk at the front of a brightly lit courtroom. He spoke in the warm, rich, calming voice that most audiences would instantly recognize.

Get a room, AP.

After reading the AP “story,” it reminded me that some people idolize actors like they are worthy of worship, ignoring the fact that Spacey was fired from his job for being a sex creep. Although he has been found liable in only one instance, nothing will disabuse me of the notion that Kevin Spacey is an awful person.

Spacey hasn’t worked in 6 years, and to that, I say, good. I hope he has trouble finding work at a local theater in the San Fernando Valley, where we both grew up. I cannot watch his films because I cannot separate his characters from the awful man. One of my favorite films is L.A. Confidential. He’s in it, and I am likely to never watch it again.

The AP writer seems to have a crush on Kevin Spacey. I’d rather see him disappear. But in Hollywood, he will find work. People will ignore that he’s a creep. Spacey is a faithful Democrat, and he’s gay. All will be forgiven.

The one thing you cannot survive in Hollywood is being a white male conservative Christian. That, Hollywood won’t forgive.