Netflix exploring spinoff amid Spacey flap ‘House of cards’ falls

Associated Press

Netflix is exploring a “House of Cards” spinoff as the show’s final season nears amid controversy surrounding star Kevin Spacey.

The streaming channel, which reportedly is weighing different concepts for the spinoff, said Monday that the upcoming sixth season will be the last for “House of Cards.”

The announcement of the Emmy-winning political satire’s end came amid fallout from Spacey’s alleged sexual advances toward a 14-year-old actor in the 1980s. But Netflix had already decided to end the show and was pursuing a spinoff.

Spacey has apologized for the incident which he said he doesn’t recall but would have stemmed from “drunken behavior.” He also spoke publicly for the first time about being gay.

Though the decision to end the series was announced on Monday, the decision to end the series was made several months ago, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision.

Spacey is the latest Hollywood man to be named in widening allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in entertainment, media and other industries. The avalanche of allegations began earlier this month after the New York Times published a story alleging that producer Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed numerous women.

In an interview published by BuzzFeed News on Sunday, actor Anthony Rapp alleged that he was attending a party at Spacey’s apartment in 1986 when an inebriated 26-year-old Spacey picked him up, placed him on his bed, and climbed on top of him. Rapp, then 14, was able to get away without any physical harm.

Former “House of Cards” showrunner Beau Willimon, who also serves as the president of the Writers Guild of America, East, called Rapp’s story “deeply troubling.”

In a statement, Willmon said: “During the time I worked with Kevin Spacey on ‘House of Cards,’ I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off. That said, I take reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception. I feel for Mr. Rapp and I support his courage.”

The final “House of Cards” episodes production has been suspended indefinitely.

AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy, AP National Writer Hillel Italie, TV writers Lynn Elber in Los Angeles and David Bauder in New York, and Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.