Get All Access for $5/mo

Kevin Spacey Ordered to Pay Nearly $31 Million for Violating Harassment Policy The studio behind 'House of Cards' alleges Spacey's breaches of contract made him liable for tens of millions of dollars in losses.

By Chloe Arrojado Edited by Amanda Breen

Ernesto Ruscio | Getty Images

Court documents released on Monday reveal actor Kevin Spacey was ordered last year to pay nearly $31 million to House of Cards studio MRC. According to the document, Spacey had to pay nearly $30 million for compensatory damages and $1.4 million for fees and costs. MRC filed the petition in the Los Angeles Superior Court, writing Spacey breached his contract by violating the company's harassment policy.

"The Arbitrator further found that Spacey's egregious breaches of contract proximately caused and rendered him (and his affiliated entities) liable for the tens of millions of dollars in losses MRC suffered when it had no choice, upon the revelations of Spacey's pattern of harassment, to halt the production of Season 6 of [House of Cards], to rewrite the entire season to omit Spacey's character, and to shorten Season 6 from 13 to 8 episodes to meet delivery deadlines," MRC wrote in its court filing.

Related: When It Comes to Harassment, Workplace Silence Doesn't Mean Everything Is OK

MRC severed ties with Spacey in 2017 after reports from CNN and Buzzfeed revealed his sexual misconduct with House of Cards employees and others in the media industry. The production company said that it did not know of Spacey's misconduct at the time, which it confirmed in the petition.

"The safety of our employees, sets and work environments is of paramount importance to MRC and why we set out to push for accountability," MRC said in a statement.

Related: What Netflix Just Taught Entrepreneurs About Mitigating a PR Nightmare

Chloe Arrojado

Entrepreneur Staff

Editorial Assistant

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Personal Finance

This Candlestick Trading Masterclass Can Help You Unlock Passive Income for Your Business

Learn what it takes to make smart investments in the stock market.

Fundraising

Will Investors Bite on a Pizza Wallet? Find Out on the Wild Season Finale of 'Elevator Pitch.'

On the season 12 finale of "Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch," contestants teach investors to look at ordinary things in a whole new way.

Franchise

These Are the Top New and Emerging Franchises of 2024 — And You Can Start One for Less Than $5,000

We evaluated new and emerging brands based on the same rigorous criteria used in the Franchise 500 process, analyzing more than 150 data points.

Business News

Barbara Corcoran Says the Best Entrepreneurs Are Good at This One Thing

Real estate entrepreneur and investor Barbara Corcoran says a few key traits prove effective when starting a business. Here's her top pick.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Side Hustle

At Age 15, He Used Facebook Marketplace to Start a Side Hustle — Then It Became Something Much Bigger: 'Raised Over $1.6 Million'

Dylan Zajac, now a 21-year-old senior at Babson College, wanted to bridge the digital divide.