(Bloomberg) -- Kevin Spacey's talent agency dropped him, according to a person familiar with the matter, after new allegations surfaced accusing the actor of sexual harassment on the set of “House of Cards,” the iconic Netflix political drama.
Creative Artists Agency LLC parted ways with the Oscar winner, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Staci Wolfe, a spokeswoman for Spacey, wasn't available for comment. Deadline, who reported CAA's decision earlier, said that Wolfe also cut ties with the actor.
Spacey created a toxic environment for workers on the television show, CNN reported, citing interviews with eight people who work on the show or used to. A former production assistant told the network that Spacey sexually assaulted him during one of the early seasons. All eight people spoke on condition of anonymity over fear of professional repercussions for speaking out, CNN said Thursday.
Netflix Inc., which carries “House of Cards,” and Media Rights Capital, the producer, suspended production of the program earlier this week after another actor, not part of the cast, alleged he was accosted in 1985 at age 14 by Spacey. Spacey issued an apology for that incident and was said to be seeking treatment, CNN reported.
The fate of “House of Cards” is unclear. The companies had said earlier next season, the sixth, would be the last for the show, which established Netflix as a home for premium original programs. But Spacey's character, the conniving Frank Underwood, is the show's chief protagonist, and shooting the season without him would have been unthinkable a month ago. CAA represents many of the show's biggest figures, including Spacey's co-star Robin Wright.
“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,'” Media Rights Capital said in an emailed statement. “As the producer of the show, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for our cast and crew has always been our top priority.”
In the same email, Netflix said it just learned of an incident five years ago that was supposedly resolved swiftly. “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 streaming service said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Lucas Shaw in Los Angeles at lshaw31@bloomberg.net, Anousha Sakoui in Los Angeles at asakoui@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Crayton Harrison at tharrison5@bloomberg.net, Sam Nagarajan
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