Kevin Spacey's House of Cards Topples

Kevin Spacey's House of Cards has collapsed, and his Netflix series is ending as well, amid allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct surrounding actor Anthony Rapp. The actor was on Broadway and only 14 years old, when Rapp told Buzzfeed News, "He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. But I don’t, like, squirm away initially, because I’m like, What’s going on?’ And then he lays down on top of me.”“He was trying to seduce me,” Rapp said. “I don’t know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.” Spacey was 26 years old at the time. He released a twitter statement saying he apologizes for "deeply inappropriate drunken behavior." And he also decided to come out publicly as a gay.

Hollywood has reacted to Spacey's twitter statement with statements of their own, mostly condemning the actor for what seems to be a concerted effort to manipulate and deflect. Spacey doesn't mention Rapp's age in his statement at all. Out actor Zachary Quinto tweeted out the Spacey statement was a "calculated manipulation to deflect," from an attempted molestation.

GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis wrote "Coming out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault."

Also Monday, The International Academy has announced that in light of recent events it will not honor Kevin Spacey with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award, according to the Academy's tweet.

House of Cards creator Beau Willimon called the allegations against Spacey deeply troubling. And Rosie O'Donnell added her tweet to the list that grew throughout the day

Hollywood has hidden many secrets for a long time. It's allowed abuses of women and children. It's a theme the town knows only to well, there have been plenty of films and television about how power in the hands of the wrong people can destroy human lives. Kevin Spacey plays many of these characters, and he played one on House of Cards.

Monday The Producers Guild of America voted unanimously to ban Weinstein for life, saying in a statement “This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr. Weinstein’s decades of reprehensible conduct,” the Guild said in a statement. “Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry."

Also Monday a former Bachelor and Bachelorette producer, is suing Warner Bros. and five producers of the reality TV show over sexual harassment she claims occurred in 2016 set of The Bachelorette.

Spacey's and Weinstein House of Cards collapsed. There will be more, this is just the tip of an iceberg. All you have to do is look up old articles on Gawker, People Keep Telling Us About Kevin Spacey’s Aggressive Love for Men

It's eerily cunning and equally off putting that what happened Monday has the essence of Frank Underwood, the character Spacey plays on the streaming giant. Underwood is so ruthless and power hungry, he delights in his word twists to benefit his ascension to the seat of power. He plays with the audience, daring them to also delight in his manipulations. It's as if he knows he is both engaging and enraging.

House Of Cards gave flight to Netflix's success as a streaming giant, a critical darling. Now the much lauded series is going down in the shadow of this. The one saving grace is that Anthony Rapp's bravery in speaking out, is yet another step, following Rose McGowen's in the direction of letting the cards fall in a industry that was built around a dynamic that says money and power supersedes all, even behavior. Changing the power structure begins when people speak up, the power of the people can make institutions with weak frames crumble, and then we can rebuild a better one.