Kevin Spacey accused of sexual assault and harassment by House of Cards crew members
By Will Stroude
Kevin Spacey has been publicly accused of sexual harassment by eight current and former members of the House of Cards crew.
A former production assistant on the hit Netflix political drama claims that Spacey assaulted him during one of the show’s early seasons.
Crew members have described the two-time Oscar winner’s behaviour as “predatory” and claimed the set was a “toxic” place for young men.
The unnamed production assistant claims that Spacey sexually assaulted him in a vehicle after he was asked to pick up the 58-year-old actor and bring him to the House of Cards set.
When the pair were just minutes away from the set, and while the car was moving, Spacey allegedly put his hands down the assistant’s trousers.
“I was in a state of shock,” he told CNN. “He was a man in a very powerful position on the show and I was someone very low on the totem pole and on the food chain there.”
Once the pair arrived on set and the assistant began helping Spacey take his belongings to his trailer, the actor allegedly cornered him and made inappropriate contact.
“I told him, ‘I don’t think I’m ok with this, I don’t think I’m comfortable with this,'” the production assistant said, adding that Spacey then became “flustered” and got out the car.
Another of the show’s crew members also claimed that Spacey routinely harassed and touched him, saying: “He would put his hands on me in weird ways.”
The allegations come after Anthony Rapp claimed that Spacey made a sexual advance towards him when he was just 14. Several other men have also come forward with claims including filmmaker Tony Montana and British teenager Daniel Beal.
Netflix suspended production on the sixth season of House of Cards – the show’s last – in the wake of the original claims. The streaming giant released a statement saying they were working with cast and crew “to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported.”
Spacey’s representatives revealed in a statement on Thursday that the actor is “taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment.”
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