Netflix Fires Kevin Spacey From 'House of Cards'
Netflix has officially fired Kevin Spacey from "House of Cards" in light of mounting accusations of sexual misconduct and assault against the actor.
According to CNN, eight staff members of the series have accused him of sexual harassment or assault a week after "Star Wars: Discovery" star Anthony Rapp revealed that Spacey, then 26, made sexual advances to him when he was just 14.
He claims that he does not remember the incident and believes that if it had happened, it could have been out of drunken behavior. In his apology, he also came out as gay, which was met with backlash and was interpreted as a distraction from the issue.
In an official statement, Netflix said that Spacey will no longer be part of "House of Cards," which he headlined and was also a producer of for five years:
Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey. We will continue to work with [Media Rights Capital] MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.
They also added that they "will not be moving forward" with the release of the film "Gore," which is currently in post-production and stars and is produced by Spacey.
"House of Cards" season 6, which is yet to be made official by Netflix, was being filmed when allegations against Spacey went public, but the production has since been halted.
As for the fate of the series, Media Rights Capital said in a statement that the fate of the show hangs in the balance at the moment.
While we continue the ongoing investigation into the serious allegations concerning Kevin Spacey's behavior on the set of HOUSE OF CARDS, he has been suspended, effective immediately. MRC, in partnership with Netflix, will continue to evaluate a creative path forward for the program during the hiatus.
The accusations have also led to Spacey's agency and publicist to cut ties with him.