Spacey dumped by Netflix, police home in on Weinstein

Kevin Spacey

NEW YORK: Netflix late Friday dropped Kevin Spacey, whose career is in free-fall over spiraling sexual assault accusations as police gather evidence for a possible arrest warrant against Harvey Weinstein for alleged rape.
The two-time Oscar winner Spacey, for years considered one of the most gifted actors of his generation, and whose collaboration with Netflix put the streaming giant on the map, has gone from esteemed actor to entertainment pariah in a matter of days.
Reportedly being investigated by British police for assaulting a man in London in 2008, he has been publicly accused of attempting to rape a 15-year-old boy in New York and of making advances on a 14-year-old.
Already dropped by his publicist and agent, Netflix became the latest entity to cut ties with Spacey, saying it would be involved in no further production of its hit series “House of Cards” that includes the 58-year-old. Production of the last and final season, which had been due to air in 2018, has already been suspended.
The streaming service also said it was abandoning the release of an upcoming film “Gore” that had also starred the actor, whose glittering career is now collapsing around him.
“Netflix will not be involved with any further production of ‘House of Cards’ that includes Kevin Spacey,” a spokesperson said.
The channel said it would work with the show’s production company, MRC, “to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.”
Eight current or former employees on the award-winning “House of Cards” told CNN that Spacey turned the set into a “toxic” environment through a pattern of sexual harassment of younger, male crew members.
Weinstein, once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, and Spacey are the most high-profile scalps in a month-long torrent of allegations bringing down like dominoes male power players from the worlds of politics, finance, entertainment and journalism.
Some 100 women have since early October accused Weinstein, a father of five, of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to rape, sparking police investigations in London, Los Angeles and New York.
On Friday, New York police confirmed that officers were gathering evidence for a possible arrest warrant in connection with Weinstein’s alleged double rape of “Boardwalk Empire” actress Paz de la Huerta at her New York apartment in late 2010.