House Of Cards Suspends Season 6 Production Amid Allegations About Spacey
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A show based on cliffhangers has become a cliffhanger itself.
Netflix has announced the sixth season of "House of Cards," which had been filming in Maryland, is suspending production until further notice.
It's the latest fallout from a sex scandal involving the Emmy-winning show's star, Kevin Spacey.
Actor Anthony Rapp claims Spacey made inappropriate sexual advances toward him in 1986, when Rapp was just 14 years old and Spacey was 26.
Spacey says he doesn't remember the alleged encounter, but also said "I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior."
The actor has gotten backlash for his response, which also included him speaking publicly for the first time about being a gay man.
"Coming out as gay is completely separate from addressing allegations of being a sexual predator," said Matt Belloni, of The Hollywood Reporter. "You could argue that coming out as gay at this particular moment might deflect attention away from the allegations against him."
And Spacey's career is not the only one being affected by the allegations and the backlash to his statement. Now, it's also impacting others who work on "House of Cards."
Show production being halted will impact more than 2,000 jobs in Maryland's film industry, which has grown right along with the show.
A season of shooting "House of Cards" has generated as much as $140 million in Maryland.
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook