Multiple “House of Cards” crew members have accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct on the set of the Netflix drama, alleging that the actor’s inappropriate advances and contact created a “toxic” work environment.
The report from CNN also included allegations from an anonymous former production assistant who said Spacey sexually assaulted him when he was assigned to drive the actor to set one day. He went on to allege that Spacey “cornered” him in his trailer when they arrived on set.
“I told him, ‘I don’t think I’m ok with this, I don’t think I’m comfortable with this,’” the production assistant told CNN. He did not report the incident to managers or police, though he had previously complained to a supervisor about harassment from Spacey.
The other crew members who spoke to CNN said they also witnessed or experienced inappropriate behavior from Spacey, including one person who said the actor “would put his hands on me in weird ways.”
In a statement, Media Rights Capital, which produces the show, revealed that a previous complaint had been made against Spacey in 2012, in which “immediate action was taken” and the issue was “resolved promptly to the satisfaction of all involved.”
The company said it “will continue to thoroughly investigate all current claims and any new claims that are formally brought to our attention, and will continue to monitor our own production and practices to ensure that our cast and crew feel safe and supported.”
In a separate statement, Netflix reiterated that it sent representatives to the Baltimore set earlier this week and said that it was not aware of any new allegations. “We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the production, and have nothing further to share at this time,” the streamer said.
On Sunday, “Star Trek: Discovery” star Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making a sexual advance toward him three decades ago, when Rapp was just 14. Spacey later apologized but said he does not remember the events in question.
Several other men have since come forward to sexual harassment, including an anonymous former actor who described an ongoing sexual relationship he had had with Spacey when he was 14 and the older actor was 24.
On Tuesday, Netflix and MRC announced that production on the sixth and final season of the political drama had been suspended “indefinitely.”
Read the full statements from the Netflix and MRC below:
STATEMENT FROM MRC on 11/2/17:
“We are deeply troubled to learn about these new allegations that are being made to the press concerning Kevin Spacey’s interaction with members of the crew of House of Cards. As the producer of the show, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for our cast and crew has always been our top priority. We have consistently reinforced the importance of employees reporting any incident without fear of retaliation and we have investigated and taken appropriate actions following any complaints. For example, during our first year of production in 2012, someone on the crew shared a complaint about a specific remark and gesture made by Kevin Spacey. Immediate action was taken following our review of the situation and we are confident the issue was resolved promptly to the satisfaction of all involved. Mr. Spacey willingly participated in a training process and since that time MRC has not been made aware of any other complaints involving Mr. Spacey.
In response to the current situation, on Tuesday of this week, MRC installed an anonymous complaint hotline, crisis counselors, and sexual harassment legal advisors for the crew. MRC will continue to thoroughly investigate all current claims and any new claims that are formally brought to our attention, and will continue to monitor our own production and practices to ensure that our cast and crew feel safe and supported.”
Netflix statement on 11/2/17:
“When the allegations broke about Kevin Spacey on Sunday night, in conjunction with MRC, we sent a representative to set on Monday morning. Netflix was just made aware of one incident, five years ago, that we were informed was resolved swiftly. On Tuesday, in collaboration with MRC, we suspended production, knowing that Kevin Spacey wasn’t scheduled to work until Wednesday. Netflix is not aware of any other incidents involving Kevin Spacey on-set. We continue to collaborate with MRC and other production partners to maintain a safe and respectful working environment. We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the production, and have nothing further to share at this time.”