Just as Netflix's hit political drama thriller returned strongly with a fifth season, sexual misconduct allegations against the series' lead player Kevin Spacey have surfaced. The accusations have tarnished the award-winning actor's professional record, but the issue also just cost him his role as President Frank Underwood in "House of Cards" season 6.
The future of "House of Cards" was left out in the dark as Spacey has been bombarded with a number of sexual abuse allegations for the past days. Some fans even questioned if the Netflix original series could still return with one more season, but whether or not "House of Cards" season 6 will be greenlit, Entertainment Weekly reported that Spacey will not be a part of it. For now, the streaming media giant is still open on working with the series' production team, MRC.
"We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show," a Netflix spokesperson said. Aside from Spacey's involvement in "House of Cards," Netflix also said that the actor's soon-to-be-released movie "Gore" will no longer push through. The film, which stars Spacey, was already in post-production stage.
"Star Trek" actor Anthony Rapp is the first person to step forward regarding the sexual harassment controversy surrounding Spacey. In an exclusive interview published by BuzzFeed, Rapp revealed an incident at a party back in 1986 where Spacey allegedly made inappropriate advances towards the former, who was only 14 at that time. Following Rapp's revelation, several new claims of sexual assault have appeared, and even MRC mentioned one incident in the "House of Cards" production with Spacey, Deadline reported.
It has been decided by Netflix to suspend the ongoing production of "House of Cards" season 6, and with Spacey being dropped out of the project recently, several script revisions are expected until the series can continue with the filming. The production team has not yet disclosed a specific date as to when the show can resume its production, although Netflix is reportedly targeting post-Thanksgiving season to wrap up the shoot.
"House of Cards" season 6 will be the final chapter of the Netflix series that began in 2013. Aside from Spacey, the series also stars Robin Wright as Frank Underwood's first lady, Claire.
