3 yıl önce

US actor Kevin Spacey to pay $31M to studio for 'House of Cards' losses

MRC Entertainment suffered tens of millions in losses after firing actor Kevin Spacey and halting production of season six of the hit TV show 'House of Cards.'

AFP

The ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court came after a legal fight of more than three years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing that was kept secret from the public.

US actor Kevin Spacey to pay the studio behind “House of Cards” more than $30 million because of losses brought on by his firing for sexual misconduct.

An arbitration decision made final on Monday said MRC Entertainment, the studio behind Netflix's hit show, suffered tens of millions in losses due to Spacey.

“The safety of our employees, sets and work environments is of paramount importance to MRC and why we set out to push for accountability," MRC said in a statement on Monday.

A document filed in Los Angeles Superior Court requesting a judge's approval of the ruling says that the arbitrators found that Spacey violated his contract's demands for professional behaviour on set.

It said Spacey engaged in "certain conduct in connection with several crew members in each of the five seasons that he starred in and executive produced House of Cards.”

The studio had to fire Spacey, halt production of the show's sixth season, rewrite it to remove Spacey's central character, and shorten it from 13 to eight episodes to meet deadlines.

Lengthy legal fight

A representative for Spacey did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. His attorneys argued that the actor's actions were not a substantial factor in the show's losses.

The ruling came after a legal fight of more than three years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing that was kept secret from the public, along with the rest of the dispute.

Spacey appealed the decision to a panel of three more private arbitrators, who found for the plaintiffs, making the decision final, and public, on Monday.

"MRC stood its ground, pursued this case doggedly, and obtained the right result in the end,” plaintiff's attorney Michael Kump said in a statement.

Me Too movement

Two-time Oscar winner had starred as US politician Frank Underwood in five seasons of "House of Cards" until the allegations of sexual harassment against co-workers were made public in the media.

Actor Anthony Rapp, who has appeared in “Rent” on Broadway and film as well as in “Star Trek: Discovery” on television, said Spacey made a sexual advance on him when he was 14 at a party in the 1980s.

Several other accusers followed. Some, including Rapp, have filed lawsuits.

Independent investigations found widespread sexual harassment of those who worked under him.

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies