Actor Kevin Spacey claimed to have put Netflix “on the map” and criticized the streaming platform for firing him from the show “House of Cards” amid allegations of sexual assault, some of which occurred during a summer trial in the UK led to an acquittal.
“It's bizarre that they decided to publicly cut ties with me based solely on allegations – allegations that have now been proven false,” Spacey said Sunday in a Christmas Eve interview with Tucker Carlson on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Because I don’t think there’s any doubt that Netflix exists because of me.
“I put them on the map and they tried to put me in the ground.”
Spacey's comments about Netflix's treatment of him appeared to be some of his most pointed comments on the subject to date. As he has done in other videos released around Christmas in recent years, he made these comments – along with others – in the role of “House of Cards” protagonist Frank Underwood, who starred in the once-popular series Shady routes from Congress to the presidency rise through means, including murder.
Spacey was found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men in July in one of the UK's most high-profile trials linked to the #MeToo social justice movement. Last year, Spacey also obtained a verdict in New York that found he had not molested fellow actor Anthony Rapp when he was a teenager, despite allegations to the contrary.
But more than a dozen men have accused Spacey, 64, of sexual misconduct, including some who have alleged assault.
Netflix fired Spacey from House of Cards in 2017, shortly after he apologized to Rapp, who had just gone public with his allegations at the time. “House of Cards” was entering its sixth and final season, which began with the casting of Spacey’s Underwood character.
The streaming platform has also canceled a biopic starring Spacey based on the life of writer Gore Vidal.
Carlson, who was himself fired this year for hosting a show on the politically conservative channel Fox News, told Spacey: “They actually tried to kill you.”
“Yes,” Spacey replied. “But here we are, Tucker—bigger than ever.”
Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Spacey's comments.
Carlson asked Spacey if he believed “old media” played any role in the fallout he suffered from the allegations made against him.
“Look, I think they're doing their best to stay relevant,” said Spacey, who previously won two Oscars and a Tony Award.
After his acquittal in the United Kingdom, Spacey performed a short scene from William Shakespeare at a theater in Oxford as part of a lecture honoring conservative philosopher Roger Scruton. His first film since then was Control, described by Variety as a “Welsh micro-budget thriller” and given two stars out of five in a Guardian review.
Variety reported in October that London's Prince Charles Cinema canceled the world premiere of Control after becoming aware of Spacey's role in the film.