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House of Cards Insurance Trial: Sickness or Fallout?
28 Feb
Summary
- The trial centers on whether Kevin Spacey's unavailability stemmed from sickness or sexual assault allegations.
- Production company MRC seeks over $100 million in insurance coverage for House of Cards' final season.
- Key dispute involves the insurance policy's coverage for 'sickness' versus reputational damage.
A trial is currently examining whether Media Rights Capital (MRC) is entitled to over $100 million in insurance payouts. The core of the legal battle revolves around Kevin Spacey's departure from the sixth season of House of Cards. MRC asserts that Spacey's absence was due to a "sickness," leading him to seek treatment at a rehab facility.
Conversely, the insurer, Fireman's Fund, contends that MRC's losses stemmed from the media fallout surrounding allegations of sexual assault against Spacey. The policy's coverage for "sickness" is a central point of contention, as its definition within the contract is reportedly vague. Both parties are presenting their cases, with a verdict having significant potential to shape future production insurance agreements.
Spacey, who was contracted for the season, checked into a rehab facility around October 29, 2017, following multiple media reports detailing alleged sexual misconduct. MRC subsequently suspended him and rewrote the season's script to remove his character entirely. The trial will weigh whether Spacey's condition constituted a "sickness" that solely caused the production losses, as required by the policy.
