Netflix has issued a statement saying it is cutting ties with Kevin Spacey following multiple accusations of sexual harassment against him.
BuzzFeed News reported that the streaming giant said it will not be involved with "House of Cards" if Spacey remains involved. Spacey is a lead in the show and an executive producer.
The company also said it will not be releasing “Gore,” a movie starring Spacey.
“Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey. 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.”
Media Rights Capital, or MRC, the production company behind "House of Cards," issued a statement soon after Netflix. The statement confirmed Spacey had been suspended from the series.
"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 statement comes after Anthony Rapp, a 46-year-old actor, told BuzzFeed News Spacey made a sexual advance on him when he was 14 years old and Spacey was 26.
Related: Kevin Spacey accused of past sexual misconduct with then-14-year-old actor
Spacey issued a statement after the story was published, saying in part, "I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years." He also came out as gay in the statement, which was criticized by many as an attempt to distract from Rapp's allegation against him.
Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Sony Pictures
Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Sony Pictures
Shortly after Rapp's interview was published, Netflix and MRC announced production on the sixth and final season of the show would halt until further notice. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the sixth season was in talks to be the final in the series since the summer.
Two episodes of season six have reportedly already been shot.
Since then, eight people who have worked on "House of Cards" have made claims that Spacey sexually harassed them. Three others -- a journalist, a 16-year-old boy interested in acting and a military adviser who worked on set on one of Spacey's movies have come forward in a Friday BuzzFeed News report to allege sexual abuse.
Related: 8 ‘House of Cards’ employees accuse Kevin Spacey of ‘predatory’ conduct
An earlier report from THR said Spacey will likely be written out of the final season. Spacey plays Frank Underwood, an ambitious politician in Washington.
“They shut it down to figure out how to write him out,” an unnamed source told THR. Netflix declined to comment on the report.
The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday night that Spacey's long time publicist, Staci Wolfe, and talent agency CAA have split with the actor. Before cutting ties with Spacey, Wolfe issued the following statement on Spacey's behalf on Wednesday: "Kevin Spacey is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment. No other information is available at this time."
About the Author
