Kevin Spacey was among a growing number of actors who were accused of sexual assault in 2017. After the allegations came to light, Netflix decided to fire Spacey from their successful series ‘House of Cards’. The streaming giant later announced that they would be cutting all ties with the actor on any projects.
At the time, production was already taking place for the sixth season of the show, but by the time the season aired, Spacey’s character Frank Underwood had been killed off. Spacey responded to the claims with an unconvincing apology and opted to come out as gay on Twitter to try and shift the story’s focus.
Taylor Momsen, Gossip Girl
Taylor Momsen got her start in acting playing the role of Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 film, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. But the sweet Who girl was soon replaced with a rebellious teenager, as Momsen was cast in CW series 'Gossip Girl' as Jenny Humphrey. She started out as a series regular but began to appear less and less over time. There were whispers about her bad behavior and by the time season four rolled around, she was gone.
Momsen stated that she had decided to take a break from acting to work on her music, but Hollywood Life claims she was actually fired from the show due to her “unreliable and erratic behavior” on set.
Danny Masterson, The Ranch
Danny Masterson played the beloved character of Hyde on the long-running sitcom 'That ‘70s Show'. He joined up with old cast member Ashton Kutcher for Netflix series, 'The Ranch', in 2016. The series was a hit with fans and critics until Masterson was accused of attacking four women in the early 2000s. There was public pressure on Netflix to take action and they decided to kick Masterson off the show in late 2017.
Masterson, who was also an executive producer on the show, is another name on the long list of Hollywood celebrities being accused of attacking women. After an investigation by the LAPD and a trial, he was convicted and will face the consequences. 'The Ranch' is still in production and will continue without Masterson.
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Amazon Studios fired Jeffrey Tambor from their critically acclaimed show, 'Transparent', in February 2018, after investigating claims of sexual harassment by the actor. Tambor allegedly propositioned and groped his assistant, a transgendered woman named Van Barnes.
He denied the accusation vehemently, but another transgender woman spoke out with similar complaints. Although Tambor plays the lead role of Maura in the series, the next season will continue without him.
Mario Batali, The Chew
ABC announced in May 2018 that after seven seasons, the talk show 'The Chew' would not return for an eighth. The show first aired in 2011 and was hosted by chefs Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, and, until recently, Mario Batali. Batali was dropped from 'The Chew' at the end of 2017, when multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, taking place over 20 years, came to light.
Even though Batali was let go, the controversy had an adverse impact on ratings, with female viewing numbers dropping by 17 percent.