Wright co-starred alongside Spacey on 'House of Cards,' which returns for a final season this fall. Spacey was cut from the show in the wake of allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. She hadn't previously addressed the allegations and Spacey's firing from the show but spoke out during an interview with 'Today.' Watch video
After Kevin Spacey was fired from “House of Cards” last year in the wake of allegations of sexual assault, harassment and misconduct, Robin Wright was left to pilot the show in its final season.
But as allegations amassed against Harvey Weinstein and #MeToo movement unfolded, Wright never addressed the controversy over the Spacey claims.
The actress opened up about her former co-star in part of an interview with “Today” that aired on Monday. In the footage released so far, Wright does not condemn Spacey in any way, saying that her experiences with him were positive. She also does not address claims made about Spacey by “House of Cards” crew members.
“I think we were all surprised, of course, and ultimately saddened,” Wright, 52, told Savannah Guthrie when asked about her reaction to the Spacey allegations.
The final season of the Netflix show, arriving this fall, will be its sixth. Wright plays Claire Underwood, who is married to Spacey’s character, Frank Underwood. Both are political players who, from the start of the show, are determined to get their way. After Frank’s resignation, Claire is president of the United States.
“We forged ahead and we were so thankful that we were able to complete the series as planned,” said Wright, who directed the series finale of the show.
A Fourth of July teaser posted by the show on social media as “a message from the President of the United States” featured Wright’s character.
“Happy Independence Day,” Claire says, sitting in a chair reminiscent of the one Lincoln sits in at the Lincoln Memorial. “… To me.” Her message is followed by a hashtag: #MyTurn.
Constance Zimmer, another member of the cast, said those involved with the show already knew the sixth season would be the final season before the decision was announced in the wake of the Spacey controversy.
Allegations against Spacey, 58, first came to light in October of 2017 after actor Anthony Rapp claimed the South Orange native made advances toward him in 1986, when he was 14 and Spacey was 26. Many others followed, some involving minors who made similar claims. One man said he had a sexual relationship with Spacey when he was underage. Police in England are investigating claims against Spacey from when he was artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre in London, including two of three cases that came to light just this week.
“Today” only released a portion of the Wright interview, with Guthrie saying the rest would come out prior to the show’s release this fall. In this first segment, Wright wasn’t asked about the allegations made against Spacey by members of the “House of Cards” crew.
“We were co-workers, really,” she said. “We never socialized outside of work.”
But as the Spacey allegations began to accumulate last year, a handful of sources connected with the show told CNN that Spacey was known to harass men on set. One former production assistant claimed that the actor had groped his crotch as they drove to set together. The man said the alleged assault happened after he had already complained to a supervisor on the show that Spacey had allegedly sexually harassed him.
In the interview, Wright stopped short of offering much additional insight into any behavior or habits Spacey could have demonstrated that may have hinted at any possible pattern of misconduct.
“He was so great with me, was never disrespectful to me,” Wright continued. “So that’s my personal experience. That’s the only thing I feel that I have the right to talk about.”
Wright said she hasn’t heard from Spacey and doesn’t know how to reach him.
“Kevin and I knew each other between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and in between setups where we would giggle. I didn’t really know the man. I knew the incredible craftsman that he is.”
When asked if Netflix did the right thing by firing Spacey, Wright didn’t have a definitive answer.
A message from the President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/yx0P3qyHfW
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) July 4, 2018
“I don’t know how to comment on that,” she said. “But I think at that time, the shock was so intense all over the nation for many reasons, many stories, many people, I think that everybody felt that it was respectful to back off.”
When asked if she had experienced harassment in her career, Wright said yes.
“Who hasn’t?” she said.
“This is a bigger, broader issue, I think, which is: seduction, I don’t care who you are, it’s about power,” Wright said. “And once you overpower someone, that person then becomes vulnerable. And this last year I think has shined a light in a new way to allow us to start a new conversation. So we just need to shift the paradigm.”
Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.