Disgraced actor Kevin Spacey, 62, has been dealt a heavy dose of karma by a judge after being fired for sexual misconduct.
According to an arbitration decision that was made final on November 22nd, Kevin Spacey and his production companies are now required to pay the studio behind “House of Cards” over $30 million because of the losses that the studio suffered over his firing for sexual misconduct.
The arbitrators in the case found that the actor had violated his contract’s demands for professional behavior by “engaging certain conduct in connection with several crew members in each of the five seasons that he starred in and executive produced House of Cards.”
A document has been filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court requesting a judge’s approval of the ruling.
MRC, the studio behind “House of Cards,” had to fire Kevin Spacey after the #MeToo movement uncovered allegations of sexual misconduct against him. His firing caused serious problems for the studio, as he played a central character in the show, Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes president.
Without Spacey, the studio had to rewrite the sixth season of “House of Cards” to remove his character, and shorten the season from 13 episodes to eight in order to meet deadlines. These changes resulted in tens of millions in losses, according to the arbitration document.
“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 Monday.
The legal fight behind this ruling took over three years, and was largely hidden from the public.
Kevin Spacey has been accused of sexual misconduct by numerous men, including underage boys. One accuser is actor Anthony Rapp, who starred in the musical “Rent” on Broadway and in film as well as in “Star Trek: Discovery” on television.
Rapp alleges that Spacey made sexual advances on him when he was only fourteen years old at a party in the 1980s. Spacey issued a statement at the time claiming that he did not remember the incident, but apologized.
Many other accusers have followed Rapp’s lead, speaking out about their experiences and filing lawsuits against the disgraced actor.
Independent investigations into Spacey’s behavior found widespread allegations of sexual harassment from individuals working under him.
