Disgraced Hollywood star Kevin Spacey has opened about how sexual assault allegations meant "my job, many of my relationships were all gone in a matter of hours".

The 60-year-old described his "painful" journey three years after he was accused of assault by a string of men in 2017 and said he could relate to workers who've being laid off during the coronavirus pandemic, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"I don't think it will come as a surprise for anyone to say that my 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," Spacey said during a podcast.

He was dropped from the "House Of Cards" show after allegations surfaced.

He has mostly kept a low profile since the slew of sexual assault claims first came up. He has always denied the claims.

He was also removed from the completed movie "All The Money in the World", which was reshot with actor Christopher Plummer.

Spacey was asked during the podcast to reflect on the current coronavirus pandemic causing global and widespread devastation.

The actor, who has not appeared in a professional movie or series since the accusations were made, said: "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."

Spacey added: "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 that 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."