Netflix announced today that House of Cards will end after its next season.
The news comes after actor Anthony Rapp told BuzzFeed that House of Cards star Kevin Spacey made a sexual advance toward him when Rapp was only 14. However, TVLine reports that the decision was not a response to Rapp’s allegations, and in fact was made months ago.
After Rapp went public, Spacey responded, “I honestly do not remember the encounter,” but added, “If I did behave the way he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” In the same statement, Spacey came out as a gay man, a move that has also drawn criticism.
Netflix and production house Media Rights Capital released the following statement:
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.
House of Cards premiered in 2013 as Netflix’s first big bet on original content, with the streaming company paying MRC $100 million for exclusive rights to the first two seasons. It went on to win a number of awards, including seven Emmys. (Creator and showrunner Beau Willimon departed after four seasons — he’s now working on a show for Hulu.)