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Media Rights Capital, the production company behind it House of cardslost a trial over a nine-figure insurance payout in connection with the sixth season of the show.
A Los Angeles jury on Tuesday found that MRC’s losses were not the result of a medical condition by Kevin Spacey that prevented him from filming, according to a court filing.
MRC requested more than $100 million from its insurance company, Fireman’s Fund. The question at the heart of the trial: What actually killed Spacey’s appearance in the final season? The MRC argued that this was due to the actor’s sex addiction, which it asserted was an illness that led to his unavailability. The Firefighters’ Trust said this was actually due to the media fallout in response to the sexual assault allegations. An MRC win would have had significant implications for production insurance coverage moving forward.
The allegations against Spacey surfaced in a 2017 BuzzFeed report detailing sexual abuse and assault by the actor over several decades. This was followed by a CNN story accusing him of sexually assaulting crew members. Around that time, the actor checked into The Meadows, a $28,000-a-month rehab facility. MRC acted on the belief that Spacey would not be able to appear for the sixth season of the show and announced his suspension.
Evidence at trial included assurances from Spacey’s legal team that the actor was “available, willing and able to provide all services” required under his contract.
Under this policy, the MRC was covered for losses related to “disease,” which was a major focus of the trial. When Spacey took his stand earlier this month, he disputed assertions that he was unable to work. He said that he is ready and willing to film the sixth season of the series House of cards But he was unfairly fired for false reasons so that the show’s producers could file a huge insurance claim.
At one point in his testimony, Spacey questioned findings in his medical records from his time in rehab that showed he had a condition that required treatment. He said: “In the medical records there are comments attributed to me that I never said.” “They think I speak with a British accent and have a wife.”
Michael Genovese, a psychiatrist and expert witness at the Immigrant Resource Center, disputed the actor’s stance on his condition and said Spacey had contemplated suicide. “one [idea] “He had hanged himself the night before he went into the Meadows,” Genovese recounted. Another had to step in front of a car while staying at a rehabilitation center, he added.
Evidence showing Spacey’s medical records, which showed he suffered from a sex addiction, was the result of a settlement between MRC and the actor, who was on the hook for more than $31 million for breaching his contract by violating anti-harassment policies. In exchange for the arbitration award being reduced to $1 million, Spacey agreed to hand over his medical records and make a court declaration that he would have killed himself if he had to return for the show’s final season. His cooperation was crucial in getting the case before a jury. Before that, the court indicated that it was likely to dismiss the case.
Lawyers for the MRC and the Firefighters Fund did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
