by The Cowl Editor on November 16, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Madeline Weaver-Nolting ’19
A&E Staff
The career of the well-known House of Cards star and two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey is in serious jeopardy. On Oct. 29, the first of many accusations of sexual misconduct came to light, causing an uproar in Hollywood and social media.
Netflix has announced that the sixth season of House of Cards would be its last, and Netflix has currently suspended the TV show to consider their options. They have, however, said that they will not continue the series if Spacey remains involved. Netflix is even considering killing off his character, Francis Underwood.
The first accuser was Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp. In a Buzzfeed article, Rapp accused Spacey of sexually assaulting him in 1986, when he was 14 and Spacey was 31. Rapp wrote in an emailed statement, “I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out, to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me. Everything I wanted to say about my experience is in that article, and I have no further comment about it at this time.”
The accusations against Spacey come in the aftermath of dozens of sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The well-known producer and founder of The Weinstein Company has been fired from his company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
New York Times writers Sarah Almukhtar, Larry Buchanan, and Michael Gold have compiled a list of “at least 20 high-profile men in a variety of industries have also been accused. Since then, a number have resigned, been fired or experienced other fallout after claims ranging from inappropriate text messages to rape.” Weinstein’s allegations have led to a purging of well-known Hollywood elite whose careers will ever be the same again.
Spacey has met even more criticism for revealing his sexuality in his apology to Rapp. Sarah Kate Ellis, president and chief executive officer of GLAAD, responded, “Coming out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault. This is not a coming out story about Kevin Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and all those who bravely speak out against unwanted sexual advances. The media and public should not gloss over that.”
Spacey’s acting career is quickly declining. With recent allegations against Spacey, his House of Cards role and his entire acting career may be over.
Brookes Barnes from the New York Times writes, “In a highly unusual move, the director Ridley Scott decided on Wednesday to remove Spacey from a finished movie, All the Money in the World, and re-film scenes with a substitute actor.” As allegations against many Hollywood elite continue to surface, many careers have come to a standstill.