Netflix justified in canceling “House of Cards” amid Kevin Spacey scandal

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Netflix’s decision to cancel “House of Cards” sets new precedent for combatting sexual misconduct.

At the beginning of November, actor Anthony Rapp alleged that “House of Cards” actor Kevin Spacey made sexual advances on him in 1986 when Rapp was just 14 years old.

Spacey then took to Twitter to give a harebrained response in which he offered a disgraceful apology to Rapp, stating that he does not remember the encounter, but hey, if he did happen to do it, he went ahead and apologized for it just in case. Oh, and then he decided to come out as gay because why not attribute predatory behavior to being gay? This is beside the point.

Soon after the allegations, Netflix released a joint statement with Media Rights Capital stating “Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey. In response to last night’s revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported. As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.”

Spacey’s accusations are more than enough to warrant Netflix’s decision to pull the plug on the acclaimed “House of Cards.”

Netflix’s decision makes an important step toward intolerance of sexual misconduct. This move is especially critical in this case, as the allegation involves sexual advances on a minor; Netflix has every right to be “deeply troubled.” Spacey’s response to the allegations does not help his case; his apology for the sexual assault of a minor is halfhearted at best.

The validity of the accusations prompts questions of whether Netflix was too quick to act when Spacey hasn’t been charged. Surely not. Media Rights Capital and Netflix released a second statement to the Deadline stating: “MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production of ‘House of Cards’ season six until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew.”

This statement by Media Rights Capital and Netflix exemplifies warranted action in the wake of an allegation of such severity. Netflix’s swift response is setting the precedent for combatting sexual misconduct in an industry that notoriously runs rampant with coverup schemes.  

With Spacey’s case still up in the air, Netflix made the right decision to pause and address the allegations at hand, rather than just sweeping it under the rug.

Not taking action in this situation warrants more misconduct, especially in Hollywood. If someone continuously gets away with this action all because they haven’t been indicted, the cycle of sexual assault will continue.