“It only takes ten seconds to crush a man’s ambitions,” recently elected President Frank Underwood said in season 3 of House Of Cards. Any ambitions of an Underwood dynasty in the White House will not withstand the weight thrown on it in 2018, as Netflix have announced that House Of Cards season 6 will be its finale.
The announcement was made within 24 hours of Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp’s allegations that Kevin Spacey, who stars in and executive produces the series, made a sexual advance at him when he was 14 years old. According to published reports, the cancellation notification had already been planned a month ago and is not a response to the claims.
Spacey said he was “beyond horrified to hear [Rapp’s] story,” in a statement released late Sunday. “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’s statement also addressed his own sexuality. “I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man,” Spacey said.
The actor was criticised for using the apology as his platform for coming out.
“Coming-out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said.
House Of Cards creator Beau Willimon called Rapp’s story “deeply troubling” on Monday. He said he never “witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off.” He added that he takes “reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception.”
“Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey,” Netflix announced in a statement. “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.”
House Of Cards’ sixth season started filming this month. It was the streaming service’s first scripted series when it premiered in 2013, and it was nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, with Spacey and costar Robin Wright both also winning Golden Globes.