Kevin Spacey Ordered to Pay “House of Cards” Producer $31M

Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey must compensate the Netflix producer of “House of Cards” more than $30 million due to losses caused by his firing for sexual misconduct, according to a final arbitration ruling Monday.

According to a filing in Los Angeles Superior Court, the arbitrators found that Spacey violated his contract’s demands for professional behavior by engaging in certain conduct with several members of his crew during each of the five seasons that he produced and starred in House of Cards.

The document said Media Rights Capital (MRC) had to fire Spacey, halt production of the show’s sixth season, rewrite it to remove Spacey’s central character, and shorten it from thirteen to eight episodes to meet deadlines, resulting in millions of dollars in losses, the document said.

Safety of “House of Cards” Crew

“The safety of our employees, sets, and work environments is of paramount importance for MRC, which is why we are pushing for accountability,” Media Rights Capital said in a statement.

Spacey’s representative did not respond to a request for comment immediately. Lawyers for the Netflix actor argued that the actor’s actions were not a significant factor in the show’s cancellation.

The ruling came after a legal battle lasting over three years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing held behind closed doors. Appeals were made to a panel of three more private arbitrators, who ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, making the decision final and public on Monday.

Michael Kump, a plaintiff’s attorney, said, “Media Rights Capital stood its ground, pursued the case doggedly, and achieved the right result in the end.”

As the #MeToo movement gained momentum late in 2017, the 62-year-old Oscar winner’s career came to an abrupt end.

Tony Rapp, who has appeared in Broadway and film productions of Rent as well as on television’s “Star Trek: Discovery,” said Spacey made a sexual advance on him when he was 14.

Spacey apologized at the time, saying he didn’t remember the encounter. There were several more accusers who followed. Rapp is among those who filed a lawsuit.

According to independent investigations, his subordinates were subjected to widespread sexual harassment.

The actor was fired or removed from several projects, including “House of Cards,” the Netflix political thriller in which he played Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman appointed president.

During the 2019 judicial term, Massachusetts prosecutors dismissed the one criminal case brought against him, and indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort.

Source: AP