Kevin Spacey House Of Cards Netflix

LOS ANGELES — A judge on Thursday ruled that Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay the makers of "House of Cards" near $31 meg because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members.

The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Approximate Mel Reddish Recana gives the force of police force to the $thirty.9 million award in favor of MRC and other companies that produced the Netflix series by a private arbitrator who heard the case against Spacey.

Recana wrote that Spacey and his attorneys "fail to demonstrate that this is even a close example" and "do non demonstrate that the damages laurels was and so utterly irrational that it amounts to an capricious remaking of the parties' contracts."

"Nosotros are pleased with the court's ruling," MRC chaser Michael Kump said in an email to The Associated Press.

Background:Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty to sex crime charges in London court

Actor Kevin Spacey arrives at the Old Bailey, in London, on July 14, 2022. A judge ruled Aug. 4, 2022, that Spacey and his production companies must pay the makers of "House of Cards" nearly $31 million because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members.

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Spacey has denied the allegations through his attorneys and his spokesperson, who did not immediately reply to emails from AP seeking comment.

The arbitrator constitute Spacey violated his contract's demands for professional behavior by "engaging certain conduct in connection with several crew members in each of the five seasons that he starred in and executive produced House of Cards," according to a filing from Kump requesting the approval.

Every bit a result, MRC had to burn Spacey, halt production of the show'southward 6th season, rewrite information technology to remove Spacey's central grapheme, and shorten it from 13 to eight episodes to see deadlines, resulting in tens of millions in losses, co-ordinate to court documents.

Spacey'due south attorneys argued in their own filings that the decision to exclude him from the bear witness's 6th flavor came before the internal investigation that led the crew members to come frontwards, and thus was not office of a contract alienation. They argued that the actor's actions were non a substantial factor in the prove'due south losses.

The ruling from the private arbitrator came after a legal fight of more than iii years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing that was kept cloak-and-dagger from the public, along with the rest of the dispute, until a panel of three more private arbitrators rejected Spacey's appeal and upheld the decision in November.

Previously:Kevin Spacey to appear in London court after formally charged with sex crimes

Kevin Spacey arrives at the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on June 16, 2022, to face sexual assault charges in England.

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The 63-year-old Oscar winner'south career came to an abrupt halt in late 2017, as the #MeToo motion gained momentum and allegations confronting him emerged from several places.

Spacey was fired or removed from projects, nearly notably "House of Cards," the Netflix political thriller where for five seasons he played lead graphic symbol Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes president.

Last month, Spacey pleaded not guilty in London to charges of sexually assaulting three men a decade or more ago, when he was managing director of the Old Vic theater there. His lawyer said he "strenuously denies" the allegations. He is prepare to face trial adjacent year.

Some other criminal case brought against him, an indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort, was dismissed past Massachusetts prosecutors in 2019.

Spacey likewise faces lawsuits from other men, including actor Anthony Rapp.

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