Netflix and House of Cards producer Media Rights Capital issued a statement Monday saying they are “deeply troubled” by the allegations made against series star and executive producer Kevin Spacey.
“Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey,” the companies said in a joint statement. “In response to last night’s revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported. As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.”
The statement was sent shortly after the streaming giant announced that the upcoming sixth season would be House of Cards‘ last.
The news follows allegations against Spacey made by Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp, who on Sunday alleged that Spacey tried to make a sexual advance towards him when Rapp was 14. Spacey tweeted his “sincerest apology” to Rapp shortly after the allegations were published on Buzzfeed. In his statement, in which Spacey said he did not remember the incident, he also came out as a gay man.
However, Spacey’s decision to come out in the same statement as his apology to Rapp has drawn criticism from many in Hollywood. GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis issued a terse statement Monday: “Coming-out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault. This is not a coming-out story about Kevin Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and all those who bravely speak out against unwanted sexual advances. The media and public should not gloss over that.”
Netflix and MRC’s joint statement echoes that of House of Cards creator and former showrunner Beau Willimon, who said Rapp’s account was “deeply troubling.” Willimon stated, however, that during the four years that he and Spacey worked together on the show, “I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off. That said, I take reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception. I feel for Mr. Rapp and I support his courage.”
While House of Cards had technically not been renewed before Monday, production on the sixth season of the political drama was already well underway. Earlier this month, questions arose about the safety of the production when a gunman opened fire on an office park near the show’s Maryland set. Netflix confirmed that production was not impacted by the incident.
In addition to his role on House of Cards, Spacey’s other upcoming work include the films Billionaire Boys Club and All the Money in the World, set to be released this year, and Gore, which is currently filming for a projected 2018 release.
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