Netflix 'completely drops' Kevin Spacey as allegations mount

Accused: Kevin Spacey
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Hatty Collier4 November 2017
The Weekender

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Netflix is believed to have completely dropped Kevin Spacey as allegations against the House of Cards star mount.

Casting doubt over the hit political drama's future, Netflix said it was working with House of Cards studio Media Rights Capital to "evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show".

The move comes after British police said they are investigating an allegation of sexual assault involving the Oscar winner.

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the streaming service said: "Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey.

"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."

Netflix said it had also canned a biopic of US writer Gore Vidal, produced by Spacey, that had completed filming and was due for release in 2018.

On Thursday it emerged that the Metropolitan Police had opened an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault made against the star.

It is understood officers from the Met's child abuse and sexual offences command are looking into claims Spacey sexually assaulted a man in Lambeth in 2008.

The Met declined to identify the alleged attacker but said in a statement: "On Wednesday, 1 November, City of London Police referred an allegation of sexual assault to the Metropolitan Police Service.

"It is alleged a man assaulted another man in 2008 in Lambeth.

"Officers from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command are investigating."

City of London Police confirmed they had referred an allegation of sexual assault from 2008 in Lambeth to Scotland Yard.

Production was halted on the sixth season of House of Cards after historical allegations of inappropriate behaviour against the star began to emerge.

Actor Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey had placed him on a bed and climbed on top of him following a party at his apartment in 1986.

The former artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre would have been 26 at the time of the alleged incident, while Rapp would have been 14.

Following Rapp's allegation in a BuzzFeed interview, Spacey said in a post on Twitter he did not remember the alleged incident and announced he is living as a gay man.

Several men have spoken out against Spacey, including a West Sussex barman who alleged the actor offered him a £5,000 watch when he was 19-years-old to “keep him quiet” after exposing himself. An unknown UK journalist, and the filmmaker Tony Montana, also made allegations.

Another man also came forward to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme alleging that he woke up to find Spacey lying on top of him.

And on Thursday, actor Roberto Cavazos, who worked at London’s Old Vic theatre where Spacey was artistic director between 2004 and 2015, said he had had encounters with Spacey "that verged on what you could call harassment".

Eight House of Cards employees have also accused Spacey of sexual misconduct.

Spacey's talent agency, CAA, is no longer representing the actor amid the growing claims of sexual harassment, according to Associated Press.

On Wednesday, Spacey's representative said the actor was "taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment" in light of the allegations.

His lawyers have been contacted for comment.

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