Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 31 OcTOber 2017
‘House of Cards’ cancelled as fallout continues for Spacey

By MARK KENNEDY began earlier this month af- reason he recounted his
AP Entertainment Writer ter the New York Times pub- encounter with Spacey.
NEW YORK (AP) — The fall- lished a story alleging that “I came forward with my
out from Kevin Spacey’s re- producer Harvey Weinstein story, standing on the
sponse to being accused of had sexually harassed nu- shoulders of the many cou-
alleged sexual assault con- merous women. rageous women and men
tinued Monday, with the On Monday, NBC fired po- who have been speaking
two-time Oscar winner be- litical journalist Mark Hal- out to shine a light and
ing harshly criticized on so- perin after multiple allega- hopefully make a differ-
cial media, the plug pulled tions of sexual harassment, ence, as they have done
on his hit show “House of and The New Republic said for me,” he wrote on Twit-
Cards” and “deeply trou- it had launched an investi- ter. Rapp, who starred on
bled” producers of the po- gation after publisher and Broadway in “Rent,” cur-
litical thriller arriving on set president Hamilton Fish rently stars in “Star Trek: Dis-
to comfort cast mates. was accused of harassing covery.”
Executives from Netflix and women. Many Hollywood figures
the show’s producer, Me- In an interview published by came to Rapp’s side, in-
dia Rights Capital, said BuzzFeed News on Sunday, cluding fellow “Discovery”
they arrived in Baltimore, actor Anthony Rapp al- In this June 11, 2017, file photo, Kevin Spacey arrives at the 71st co-star Wilson Cruz and
where the show is shot, leged that he was attend- annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Rose McGowan, one of
on Monday afternoon to ing a party at Spacey’s Associated Press the leading voices against
make sure actors and crew apartment in 1986 when men and women in the and call it solidarity in an sexual harassment in Holly-
“continue to feel safe and an inebriated 26-year-old past but is now living “as effort to mask his personal wood, who said of Spacey:
supported.” Spacey was Spacey picked him up, a gay man” and wanted failings,” wrote civil rights “It’s your turn to cry.”
not scheduled to be on set placed him on his bed, to be honest so he could activist DeRay Mckesson Two comedians offered
on Monday. and climbed on top of him. examine “my own behav- on Twitter. withering criticism: “You do
Though the decision to end Rapp, then 14, was able ior.” Requests for comment Actor Zachary Quinto not get to ‘choose’ to hide
the series was announced to get away without any went unanswered Monday. called Spacey’s outing “a under the rainbow!” Wan-
on Monday, the decision to physical harm. The two-paragraph state- calculated manipulation to da Sykes, outspoken mem-
pull the plug on the series Spacey responded on Twit- ment — an apology in deflect attention from the ber of the LGBT community,
was made several months ter by saying he doesn’t the first for a 31-year-old very serious accusations.” wrote on Twitter.
ago, according to a person remember the alleged alleged assault and a Sarah Kate Ellis, president Billy Eichner also blasted
with knowledge of the situ- encounter but if he acted self-outing in the second and CEO of the gay rights the move: “Kevin Spacey
ation who spoke on condi- the way Rapp alleges, “I — struck many as an odd group GLAAD said in a has just invented some-
tion of anonymity because owe him the sincerest apol- time for Spacey to address statement that the story thing that has never ex-
they were not authorized to ogy for what would have his sexuality or even an at- was really about unwanted isted before: a bad time to
discuss the decision. been deeply inappropriate tempt to deflect blame. sexual advances on Rapp come out.”
Spacey is the latest Holly- drunken behavior.” Worse, he seemed to make not Spacey’s sexuality. Former “House of Cards”
wood man to be named in Spacey then said Rapp’s a connection between be- “Coming out stories should showrunner Beau Willimon,
widening allegations of sex- story “encouraged” him to ing gay and sexual abuse not be used to deflect from who also serves as the pres-
ual harassment and abuse address long-simmering ru- of minors. allegations of sexual as- ident of the Writers Guild
in entertainment, media mors about his sexuality. He “Kevin Spacey really tried sault,” she said. of America, East, called
and other industries. The wrote that he’s had roman- to throw the entire LGBT Rapp cited the dozens of Rapp’s story “deeply trou-
avalanche of allegations tic relationships with both community under a bus Weinstein accusers as the bling.” q

NBC fires Mark Halperin after

sexual harassment accusations

By DAVID BAUDER would not be brought back had confronted me,” he
AP Television Writer with co-hosts Heilemann said on Twitter. “But I didn’t
NEW YORK (AP) — NBC and Mark McKinnon should need a call from HR to
News said Monday it has the political series “The Cir- know that I was a selfish,
terminated its contract with cus” be renewed. immature person, who was
Mark Halperin, the political At NBC News, Halperin was behaving in a manner that
journalist who was accused a contributor who was most had to stop.”
of sexual harassment by visible as a regular panelist Journalist Eleanor McMa-
several women when he on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” nus was interviewed by
worked at ABC News more The network had initially NBC’s Megyn Kelly on Mon-
than a decade ago. suspended him last week. day, describing how Hal-
Since the charges came Halperin has apologized perin tried to kiss her and In this Aug. 11, 2016 file photo, author and producer Mark
to light last week, publisher for his behavior and said more in his office in the Halperin appears at the Showtime Critics Association summer
Penguin Press canceled a he sought counseling. He late 1990s, when she was press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif.
planned book by Halperin said he acknowledges and a college student and had Associated Press
and John Heilemann about apologizes for conduct been invited by him to give last week made her angry. ior was “an open secret,”
the 2016 election and HBO that was often aggressive career advice. She said she “I’m angry because I was and that she’s upset that
pulled the plug on a minise- and crude. quickly left the office and silent, and because I was si- some women did not pur-
ries that would have been “No one had filed a hu- didn’t report the incident, lent this happened to other sue journalism as a career
based on the book. Show- man resources complaint and that the stories that people,” she said. because of what had hap-
time also said Halperin against me, no colleague emerged about Halperin She said Halperin’s behav- pened to them.q