MasterClass, an online hub for tutorials and inspirational videos from a range of pop-culture figures, everyone from David Mamet to Gordon Ramsay to Usher, has dropped Kevin Spacey from its roster amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
The actor, whose career entered a crisis phase Sunday when fellow actor Anthony Rapp revealed that Spacey had come onto him sexually when Rapp was just 14. Spacey apologized and also, in a tone-deaf fashion to many observers, came out as gay. The resulting swirl of reactions to the scandal has led to, among other things, the cancellation of his career-reviving triumph, Netflix series House of Cards, on Netflix.
Enrollment in Spacey’s class has been closed, but anyone who purchased the $90 set of lessons, accompanied by a workbook, will still be able to access them. A company rep said in a statement: “In light of recent events, MasterClass has closed enrollment in Kevin Spacey’s online class.”
Spacey’s was one of the first offerings as the company has ramped up in 2016 and this year. MasterClass scaled quickly, raising $35 million in venture funding earlier this year and mapping out ambitious plans to grow well beyond the entertainment and celebrity category. The company has set about “building a modern day Library of Alexandria,” said Eric Liaw, a venture capitalist who recently joined the board. “Shakespeare couldn’t teach playwriting in his own words,” but today’s innovators can leave a video record for others to follow, he added.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.