Robin Wright finally breaks silence on Kevin Spacey: 'I didn't know the man, I knew the craftsman'
For months now 'House of Cards' — in the aftermath of multiple allegations of sexual assault against lead star Kevin Spacey — has been at the center of a heated debate. While the 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor's exit from the show temporarily settled the dust there are still many questions up in the air surrounding Spacey's conduct especially on set with his co-stars of the prestige Netflix drama, 'House of Cards'.
Actress Robin Wright who portrays the role of Claire Underwood Frank's wife and the new president in office is finally addressing all these questions. In a new interview with Today — a brief teaser of which was shared on social media prior to it's airing on Monday — the Netflix actress was enquired about her co-star's behavior on-set and if there were any warning signs.
“Was there any kind of red flag, or anything that would have made you think this was possible?” the interviewer asked Wright, to which the 52-year-old actress replied, saying, "Kevin and I knew each other between action and cut, and in between setups where we would giggle.” Shedding light on their interaction, the actress further explained that she and Spacey didn't really know each other off set.
“I didn’t really– I didn’t know the man. I knew the incredible craftsman that he is,” said Wright.
This past October Spacey was accused of inappropriate behavior by multiple men beginning with actor Anthony Rapp's allegations who claimed that Spacey had made inappropriate sexual advances toward him when he was just 14 years old. In addition to Rapp's charges, there are several other sexual harassment allegations as well with one case even being taken up by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
In response to the barrage of serious accusations, Spacey had issued a statement back in 2017. His candid post carried an apology with the actor coming out as gay over social media.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Anthony Rapp as an actor. I’m beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years,” he wrote.
Spacey continued, “As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose to live as a gay man.”
In the light of all these controversies, the fate of the political drama led by Spacey's Frank Underwood had been in limbo. But as work on the show's sixth season rages on it seems like Wright's character would be at the front and center of all action, and rightly so.
As co-star Patricia Clarkson said, "Robin led all of this charge so that people would save their livelihoods because when the show goes away, some people don’t get paid."