“I believe it was a wrong decision”: Kevin Spacey Says Netflix Made a Mistake by Firing Him From House of Cards
Actor Kevin Spacey is recognized for his work on-stage and on-screen, including movies like American Beauty, Se7en, A Time to Kill, Superman Returns, Baby Driver, and more. He established himself as one of the most talented actors in the industry and managed to win several accolades over the years. For his on-stage performance, he starred in the revivals of Long Day’s Journey into Night, Lost in Yonkers, The Iceman Cometh, and more.
Apart from his work, Kevin Spacey found himself embroiled in several allegations of s**ual misconduct back in 2017. The controversy led to streaming giant Netflix cutting ties with the actor and removing him from the last season of House of Cards. The actor, in a recent interview, opened up about how he navigated his way through all the allegations and where he stands today.
Kevin Spacey breaks down while talking about his current financial situation
In his recent appearance on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored show, actor Kevin Spacey took the opportunity to address the allegations of s**ual misconduct along with dwelling on his current financial situation. Following his legal battle, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that Kevin Spacey and his production companies are liable to pay the makers of House of Cards more than $30 million as a result of his firing from the show.
The actor, during the conversation with Piers Morgan, admitted that there were times in his career when he was being too handsy with people that he didn’t know at the time didn’t want it. Spacey was asked if his being handsy included ‘groping’ to which he said,
I have caressed people; I have been gentle with people. you’re making a pass at someone; you don’t want to be aggressive; you want to be gentle; you want to see if they’re going to respond positively. So, I think the word itself is not a word I would associate with my experience.
Further in the conversation, the actor broke down in tears while mentioning that he would be traveling to Baltimore as his house was being foreclosed and sold at auction. He mentioned to Piers Morgan,
I have to go back to Baltimore and put all my things in storage. I’m not quite sure where I’m going to live now.
Kevin Spacey, upon asking about his move, noted that he can no longer pay the bills that he owes, adding that there have been a couple of times when he thought he’d be filing for bankruptcy, but he hasn’t yet. He shared that he still owes a lot of legal bills that he has not been able to pay yet, and the amount is in millions.
Kevin Spacey talks about his firing from Netflix’s House of Cards
The actor portrayed the character of Frank Underwood in the political thriller drama series House of Cards, created by Beau Willimon. The show was based on a 1989 novel of the same name by Michael Dobbs and a British adaptation of the novel by Andrew Davies. Not only did the show receive a positive response from the critics and the audience, but the performances on the show were highly lauded. However, following the allegations against Spacey going public, the actor was fired from the show by Netflix, and in his interview with Morgan, he mentioned (via Variety)
We had a really remarkable relationship, and there’s no doubt that House of Cards really put them on the map. Even though they made the decision they made, which I think was a strange decision, it was a wrong decision. It was wrong for them as a company. It put them in a position where anyone who was accused of anything they had to respond in a similar way.
Spacey pointed out during the interview that it seems like Ted Sarandos learned to be supportive of controversial individuals, hinting at comedian Dave Chappelle, before adding that he wished that he would have been there for him too. He also revealed that he has not heard from his co-star Robin Wright since September or October of 2017, adding that he understands that distancing herself from him allowed her to not answer a lot of questions.
A two-part documentary titled Spacey Unmasked was recently released, which featured unheard testimonies of his alleged sexual misconduct. In 2022, a jury in New York concluded that the actor did not molest actor Anthony Rapp when he was 14. The following year, a U.K. court found the actor not guilty of nine charges of s**ual assault from four complaints. The actor denied all the accusations and is now slowly trying to rebuild his career.
Spacey Unmasked is streaming on HBO Max.
