House of Cards may be one of Netflix’s most popular original shows, but the recent allegations of sexual harassment and assault against its star, Kevin Spacey, are too much for the streaming service too ignore. In a statement released on November 4th, Netflix announced that they would be no longer be working with Spacey in any capacity.
“Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey,” a Netflix spokesperson said. “We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show. 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.”
Production on the sixth season of the show was put on hold last week after Buzzfeed published an interview with actor Anthony Rapp who alleged that Spacey sexually assaulted him when he was only 14 years old. Spacey responded to the allegations by claiming he didn’t remember the incident and officially coming out as a gay man. Obviously, his attempt at diverting attention didn’t go over well, especially with the LGBT community.
Since then, more people have come forward with sexual harassment allegations against Spacey, including background actors and production assistants on House of Cards. They accuse Spacey of “predatory” behaviour and making the set a “toxic” work environment. One PA told CNN “that Kevin had few if any qualms about exploiting his status and position”.
Spacey has also been dropped by both his publicist and his talent agency. According to a statement last week, he is seeking “self-evaluation and treatment”. Although Spacey has had a successful career with two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe under his belt, sexual harassment and assault allegations have the power to erase everything.
As for the future of House of Cards, producers are reported to be considering various options including killing off Frank Underwood and going the spin-off route. Claire Underwood, playing by Robin Wright, is more than capable of carrying a series and there aren’t many fans who wouldn’t love to see Claire take over the White House and leave her husband behind completely.
Only time will tell what happens to the Underwoods—but it’s not looking good for Spacey’s career.
