Kevin Spacey was sentenced to pay $ 31 million to MRC, the company producing House of Cards , for malpractice on the set of the Netflix series.
The actor was banned from the series after allegations of sexual harassment by men engaged in the making surfaced. MRC conducted an investigation and ultimately decided to fire the actor and executive producer.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana confirmed what had already been decided in private arbitration in October 2020, when MRC successfully ruled that Kevin Spacey owed the company $ 29.5 million in damages, as his misconduct on set had forced the company to fire him from the series and reduce the sixth and final season to five episodes.
The original arbitration
According to referee Bruce Friedman , Spacey violated his contract as an actor and executive producer with his actions. Friedman “noted that Spacey – as a result of his conduct in relation to several members of the crew in each of the five seasons of House of Cards that he performed and executive produced – has repeatedly breached his contractual obligation to provide his services’ in a manner professional ‘is consistent with reasonable policies, practices and policies’ [of MRC] ”.
In his ruling, Judge Recana wrote that Spacey and his lawyers “failed to even prove that this is a closed case.” “We are pleased with the court’s decision,” said MRC attorney Michael J. Kump .
The troubles aren’t over
Meanwhile, Kevin Spacey is still grappling with several harassment lawsuits, including one in the UK . The actor has always pleaded innocent. It will also soon make its return to the screen in a series of projects: the thriller Peter Five Eight , the historic 1242 – Gateway To The West and the Franco Nero film The Man Who Drew God .