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Kevin Spacey contract may force Netflix to end House of Cards

It seems the show may not be able to continue without the fired actor

Jacob Stolworthy
Tuesday 14 November 2017 13:18 GMT
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Netflix may have a far tougher task on their hands of firing Kevin Spacey from House of Cards than it first thought.

Spacey was dropped by the streaming service - as well as his publicist and talent agency - after multiple allegations of sexual assault dating back as early as thirty years ago came to light.

The decision threw the fate of the political drama's sixth and final season into uncertainty with the writers reportedly “racing against the clock” to eliminate his character, Frank Underwood, from scripts.

It seems their efforts may be futile. According to reports, a source has revealed to Blast that - going by the actor's contract - Netflix and Media Rights Capital may have jumped the gun. The source stated that Spacey doesn't have a morality clause in his contract meaning he is unable to be suspended or terminated from the series as a result of the allegations.

Kevin Spacey: Who has accused him so far?

The report suggests that Spacey's contract states he can only be fired from the series should he become “unavailable” or “incapacitated” which may not relate to Spacey as he's currently voluntarily “seeking evaluation and treatment” in Arizona.

It's important to note that, should the reports be true, it would only be a problem should Netflix proceed with the final season of House of Cards without Spacey's involvement which Blast reports would see the actor “owed a fortune.”

It appears that dropping the series altogether - as well as film Gore in which Spacey plays - doesn't break any contract stipulation.

Media Rights Capital told Blast: “While we continue the ongoing investigation into the serious allegations concerning Kevin Spacey’s behaviour on the set of House of Cards, he has been suspended.

“As the producer of the show, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for our cast and crew has always been our top priority.”

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