Production has halted on the sixth season of the Netflix political drama House of Cards following a historical harassment allegation made against leading star Kevin Spacey.
Actor Anthony Rapp, who stars in Star Trek: Discovery, accused the Hollywood star of making a sexual advance on him at a 1986 party in an interview with Buzzfeed News. He was 14 at the time of the alleged incident.
Netflix and Media Rights Capital said in a statement: "MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on 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."
It was previously announced that season six of House of Cards, which was filming in Baltimore, would be the last. Leading cast members and creatives were notified about the decision on Monday (October 30).
Netflix and House Of Cards producer Media Rights Capital released a joint statement about the allegations which read: "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."
Season six of the Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright-starring House of Cards was expected to debut in mid-2018 on Netflix. It is not known how the suspension on production will impact the planned air date.
House of Cards creator Beau Willimon publicly addressed the Spacey controversy, saying that the allegation that Spacey made a sexual advance on a then-child actor was "deeply troubling".
My statement regarding Anthony Rapp and Kevin Spacey: pic.twitter.com/8z6zotHWE5
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) October 30, 2017
The International TV Academy has also withdrawn a planned award for actor Spacey. He was due to be awarded with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award in New York in November, but has now had the honour revoked.
In a statement on its website, The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said: "The International Academy has announced today that in light of recent events it will not honour Kevin Spacey with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award."
The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor has been roundly criticised online for including in his apology to Rapp a statement that he was "choosing to live as a gay man" from now on, which critics said was intended to deflect attention from the allegation of harassment of a then 14-year-old boy.
