Kevin Spacey Must Pay $31 Million To "House Of Cards" Production Company For Alleged Sexual Assault
In May, actor Kevin Spacey was charged with four counts of sexual assault in the U.K. and he was kicked off the show "House of Cards" as a result. He is now forced to pay $31 million to "House of Cards" production company.
The U.K.'s Crown Prosecution Service spent over a year reviewing a file that was sent to them by the Metropolitan Police, which alleged that Kevin Spacey forced "a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent." He was charged with four counts of sexual assault. Soon after, he was fired from the popular show "House of Cards," where he played protagonist Frank Underwood.
Kevin Spacey Must Pay $31 Million to "House Of Cards" Production Company for Alleged Sexual Assault
A "House of Cards" production assistant alleged that Spacey sexually assaulted him, which prompted an investigation by MRC, the production company of the show. Spacey was kicked off the show during the sixth season, claiming that they lost millions of dollars in profits because they had to change the season from 13 episodes to eight. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana ruled in favor of MRC, insisting that Spacey breached his agreements as an actor and executive producer.
Spacey's attorneys tried to argue that his behavior was just "innocent horseplay" and "sexual innuendos" and he didn't violate MRC's anti-harassment policy. They were unsuccessful and now Spacey is forced to pay $31 million to MRC in damages.
The court found that “calculations of MRC’s damages were appropriately conservative and relied almost entirely on MRC’s actual costs and contracted-for revenues.”
However, Spacey is still set to appear in a film called "Peter Five Eight." The movie's producers sent a statement to Variety about the untimely manner of his role in the film:
"While it’s unfortunate that increased negative press is timed with Kevin returning to work, it’s also to be expected. There are those who wish for him not to act, but they are outnumbered by fans worldwide who await an artist they have enjoyed for decades returning to the screen. The production has no knowledge or comment on the various swirling allegations, and believe it’s a matter for the courts to determine validity if it exists. ‘Peter Five Eight’ is a film for fans who care more for the art than the scandal.”
Spacey has been accused more than once for sexual harassment. In 2017, CNN published a story in which Spacey was accused of creating a "toxic" work environment due to making inappropriate comments and engaging in non-consensual physical contact with young male staffers. Like many before him, though, it seems as though his career is still thriving.