The board of trustees for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Monday that it has rescinded the two awards that it previously presented to Bill Cosby, who was convicted on sexual assault charges last month.
Cosby was a member of the 1998 class of the Kennedy Center Honors and received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2009.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Removed From Television Academy Website
“The Honors and Mark Twain Prize are given to artists who, through their lifetime of work, have left an indelible impact on American culture,” the Kennedy Center board said in a statement. “As a result of Mr. Cosby’s recent criminal conviction, the Board concluded that his actions have overshadowed the very career accomplishments these distinctions from the Kennedy Center intend to recognize.”
The announcement comes four days after Cosby was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with director Roman Polanski, a fugitive in the U.S. who fled the country after pleading guilty to charges stemming from his drugging and raping of a 13 year old girl and who has since been accused of rape by several other women. The Academy expelled Cosby and Polanski through a bylaw allowing the AMPAS board of directors to immediately expel a member “for cause” with a two-thirds vote.
Also Read: Watch the Hannibal Buress Stand-Up Act That Helped Trigger Bill Cosby's Downfall (Video)
Cosby was convicted on April 26 on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in January 2004. Each count could result in a sentence of up to ten years, though they could be served concurrently.
Cosby also faces four civil lawsuits from ten other women accusing him of defamation and sexual abuse. Among them is model Janice Dickinson, who claims Cosby drugged and assaulted her in 1982, and two women who accuse Cosby of assaulting them at the Playboy Mansion, including one who was 15 at the time of the alleged incident.
Read original story Bill Cosby’s Kennedy Center Honors Rescinded At TheWrap...
Cosby was a member of the 1998 class of the Kennedy Center Honors and received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2009.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Removed From Television Academy Website
“The Honors and Mark Twain Prize are given to artists who, through their lifetime of work, have left an indelible impact on American culture,” the Kennedy Center board said in a statement. “As a result of Mr. Cosby’s recent criminal conviction, the Board concluded that his actions have overshadowed the very career accomplishments these distinctions from the Kennedy Center intend to recognize.”
The announcement comes four days after Cosby was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with director Roman Polanski, a fugitive in the U.S. who fled the country after pleading guilty to charges stemming from his drugging and raping of a 13 year old girl and who has since been accused of rape by several other women. The Academy expelled Cosby and Polanski through a bylaw allowing the AMPAS board of directors to immediately expel a member “for cause” with a two-thirds vote.
Also Read: Watch the Hannibal Buress Stand-Up Act That Helped Trigger Bill Cosby's Downfall (Video)
Cosby was convicted on April 26 on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in January 2004. Each count could result in a sentence of up to ten years, though they could be served concurrently.
Cosby also faces four civil lawsuits from ten other women accusing him of defamation and sexual abuse. Among them is model Janice Dickinson, who claims Cosby drugged and assaulted her in 1982, and two women who accuse Cosby of assaulting them at the Playboy Mansion, including one who was 15 at the time of the alleged incident.
Read original story Bill Cosby’s Kennedy Center Honors Rescinded At TheWrap...
- 5/7/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Similar News
Gaps of communication by Anne-Katrin Titze
- 5/11/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
“Maybe I did make a pile of sh*t”: Chris Pine Refused to Believe the Brutal Criticism of His Directorial Debut ‘Poolman’
- 5/10/2024
- by Lachit Roy
- FandomWire
Rotten Tomatoes Just Named the Best Movie of All Time: It’s a 27-Year-Old Thriller You Haven’t Seen
- 5/8/2024
- by zoe-wallace@startefacts.com (Zoe Wallace)
- STartefacts.com
Dan Schneider Sues ‘Quiet on Set’ for Defamation
- 5/1/2024
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Does Harvey Weinstein’s Overturned Conviction Signal the End of Hollywood’s #MeToo Moment?
- 5/1/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Is There Still Hope for #MeToo Justice?
- 4/30/2024
- by Kim Masters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Academy Town Hall Clarifies New Oscar Inclusion Standards Initiative For Members
- 5/10/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Governors Awards: Michael J. Fox, Diane Warren, Peter Weir, Euzhan Palcy Honored By Academy at Memorable Ceremony
- 11/20/2022
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Janet Yang Becomes First Asian Elected as Film Academy President
- 8/2/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.