'House of Cards' Latest News: Netflix Faces Dilemma as Contract Indicates That Kevin Spacey Cannot Be Kicked Out of The Show
The Kevin Spacey sexual assault scandal has certainly shaken the industry, most especially Netflix, which airs "House of Cards." With the actor's sacking from the series, the streaming giant now finds itself in the middle of a dilemma involving some technicalities on Spacey's contract.
According to a report from The Independent, Netflix, together with talent agency Media Rights Capital, who previously managed the actor, cannot easily fire Spacey from the show because of the scandal. The reason being is that Spacey's contract does not have a morality clause.
Sources close to the matter shared with Blast that the actor's contract states that he cannot be suspended or terminated from the production because of his personal actions. The sources noted that Spacey can only be sacked should he become "unavailable" or "incapacitated" to perform and complete his obligations.
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Meanwhile, CNN reported that the writers behind "House of Cards" are working double time to overhaul season 6 and take Spacey's character, Frank Underwood, out of the picture. Netflix has currently suspended production as they try to map out a plan on how the show should move forward without Spacey.
If things don't turn out well, there is even the possibility of Netflix ending the series altogether.
Earlier this month, The Verge reported that Netflix confirmed that it had severed its ties with Spacey, not only on "House of Cards," but also on future projects. "Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey," said a Netflix spokesperson in a statement. "We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show," the spokesperson went on to say.
"We have also decided we will not be moving forward with the release of the film Gore, which was in post-production, starring and produced by Kevin Spacey," added the spokesperson.
Netflix's decision came after actor Anthony Rapp revealed that Spacey made sexual advancements on him when he was still 14 years old. Spacey said that he could no longer remember the exact incident, but offered an apology "for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior," the actor wrote on Twitter.
