Bringing an end to what has been a shocking and deeply troubling week, a number of crew members on House of Cards have now come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against Kevin Spacey.
The scandal surrounding the actor continues to grow by the day, and just last night, we learned that Spacey was investigated for an incident that allegedly occurred during House of Cards season 1, which was seemingly “resolved swiftly” between Netflix and Media Rights Capital, the studio that helps produce the ongoing political drama. And still, the allegations continue to mount.
CNN reports that a total of eight House of Cards staffers – both current and former – have accused Spacey of harassment, whose “predatory” behavior purportedly created a “toxic” work environment for those on set. Indeed, in collaboration with Netflix, Media Rights Capital implemented “an anonymous complaint hotline, crisis counselors, and sexual harassment legal advisors” for the crew, and we understand these latest accusers have come forward under the condition of anonymity, fearing “professional repercussions” if they made their claims public.
They allege that Kevin Spacey routinely made inappropriate sexual comments and typically targeted young, male members of the production crew – which, if nothing else, certainly aligns with other allegations.
One crew member, in particular, claimed that Spacey “would put his hands on me in weird ways. He would come in and massage my shoulders from behind or put his hands around me or touch my stomach.” Another actor said that Kevin Spacey allegedly touched him in a car while filming one of the early seasons of the show.
Meanwhile, the official statement from Netflix reads as so:
When the allegations broke about Kevin Spacey on Sunday night, in conjunction with MRC, we sent a representative to set on Monday morning. Netflix was just made aware of one incident, five years ago, that we were informed was resolved swiftly. On Tuesday, in collaboration with MRC, we suspended production, knowing that Kevin Spacey wasn’t scheduled to work until Wednesday. Netflix is not aware of any other incidents involving Kevin Spacey on-set.
We continue to collaborate with MRC and other production partners to maintain a safe and respectful working environment. We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the production, and have nothing further to share at this time.
Production on House of Cards has been suspended indefinitely in the wake of these scathing, deeply troubling allegations, so it’s unclear when we can expect the show’s sixth and final season. Kevin Spacey, meanwhile, is now seeking “evaluation and treatment,” though should these claims hold true, we imagine there’s no coming back from this.
