Netflix have confirmed that Claire Underwood will be the focus of the sixth season of House of Cards when it returns next year.
The new episodes will continue production without Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood following a series of sexual misconduct allegations earlier this year.
“We are excited to bring closure to fans,” Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said during a conference, speaking about the final season of the popular show.
It is believed Spacey had worked on two episodes of the new series before allegations were brought forward against him.
Production on House of Cards was swiftly suspended, and writers have gone back to the scripts to refocus them on Robin Wright’s character and writing Spacey out completely.
The actor has been accused of sexual harassment and sexual abuse from numerous alleged victims over the past six weeks, since Anthony Rapp came forward with his alleged experience in October.
Rapp claimed in an interview that Spacey made a “sexual advance” on him back in 1986, when he was just 14 years old and Spacey was 26.
Spacey issued a statement saying that he has “a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor,” and admitted that he is “horrified to hear this story.”
The actor did not deny the allegation, but said that he does not “remember the encounter”.
However, Spacey then decided to use the statement to say: “I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.”
Many were quick to criticise Spacey for choosing this moment to clarify his sexuality as it perpetuates the gross stereotype that bigots use to claim that gay men are predatory.
Rapp’s allegations inspired many more alleged victims to come forward, including eight former and current crew members on House of Cards.
In one instance, a young man who worked on the series told CNN he was sexually assaulted.
The former production assistant alleges that when he was driving Spacey down to the set one day, the actor forced his hand down the young man’s trousers.
The alleged victim also claims that Spacey cornered him while he was in his trailer on a separate occasion, having helped him carry his luggage from his car.
Following these accusations, Netflix immediately dropped Spacey from the upcoming sixth season of House of Cards, and confirmed that they’ve pulled the plug on his upcoming movie, Gore.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault and would like to seek support, you can call the Sexual Assault Casework & Support helpline on 0800 704 2040, or visit Galop UK”s official website for more information.
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