A day after actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct, Netflix is weighing in on the unfolding controversy.
In a joint statement to TVLine, Netflix and House of Cards producer Media Rights Capital said they “are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey. In response to last night’s revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported. As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.”
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The statement comes on the heels of the news that Netflix will end House of Cards after its upcoming sixth season, although the decision was reportedly unrelated to Rapp’s allegations.
Late Sunday night, Rapp accused Spacey of making inapproptiate sexual advances toward him when he was 14 and Spacey was 26.
More: ‘House of Cards’ Showrunner Gives Statement on Kevin Spacey Advances
The actor told BuzzFeed that Spacey invited him to his Manhattan apartment for a party in 1986, then they spent most of the evening watching TV in a bedroom. Toward the end of the night, Rapp said he and Spacey were alone.
“My memory was that I thought, ‘Oh, everybody’s gone. Well, yeah, I should probably go home,’” Rapp said.
He alleges that Spacey picked him up “like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. But I don’t, like, squirm away initially, because I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then he lays down on top of me.”
“He was trying to seduce me,” the actor said.
Later Sunday night, Spacey released a statement saying he was “beyond horrified to hear [Rapp’s] story,” adding, “I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.”
Spacey then continued his statement by coming out as gay.
“This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life,” the House of Cards actor said. “I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy.”
“As those closest to me know, in my life, I have had relationships with both men and women,” he continued. “I have loved and had romantic relationships with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.”
Spacey has faced criticism for his reaction to Rapp’s allegations. Rosie O’Donnell called Spacey out on Twitter, saying that everyone knew he was “creepy.” The rest of Twitter also had quite the heated reaction to Spacey’s statement. Read more here.
