Wow.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
And did we mention…. WOW?!?
It wasn’t very long ago that Kevin Spacey was the face of Netflix.
Signing the multiple-time Oscar winner to portray Frank Underwood on House of Cards signaled to Hollywood that the streaming service was serious about becoming a player in original content.
But now Netflix has severed ties with Spacey, making a stunning (albeit understandable) announcement on Friday night.
“Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey,” a spokesperson for the company said, adding of production company Media Rights Capital:
“We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.”
Less than a week ago, Spacey was accused by actor Anthony Rapp of sexual misconduct.
The Star Trek: Discovery star said Spacey forced himself on Rapp back in 1986, when Rapp was only 14 years old.
Rapp kept the incident a secret for decades, but says he was inspired to make them public now after an endless array of alleged Harvey Weinstein victims shared their story of sexual abuse at the hands of the famous movie producer.
Tweeted Rapp shortly after his accusations went viral:
“I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out… to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me.”
In response to the allegations, Spacey acknowledged and apologized for his behavior.
He also finally confirmed the rumor that he’s gay, prompting a horde of celebrities to slam Spacey for trying to distract and deflect from the charges against him by shifting the topic to his sexuality:
See what we mean below:
Seriously, what does being gay have anything to do with sexual assault?
It’s not any better if you admit you’re attracted to the gender of the person you’ve reportedly assaulted.
The ramifications from this scandal simply snowballed from there:
- Netflix announced House of Cards would end after Season 6.
- It then suspended filming on Season 6.
- Spacey then said he was checking into treatment, although he didn’t specify for what reason.
- Then, many more House of Cards staff members accused Spacey of acting inappropriately, saying he created a toxic environment on the show’s set.
It was this final bombshell that prompted Media Rights Capital to release the following statement:
“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.”
It’s unclear where House of Cards goes from here.
There’s been chatter that it may kill off Spacey’s Frank Underwood and turn the drama over to Robin Wright’s Clare.
This wouldn’t be SO far-fetched, considering Underwood resigned as President on the show to conclude last season and Clare was sworn in as his replacement.
However, the series has already filmed two Season 6 episodes… with Spacey.
We can’t say for certain what will happen with the series, but we can say we’re stunned by how quickly events have unfolded in this real-life drama.
We’ll keep readers apprised as more news breaks.