Queen Elizabeth II Strips Harvey Weinstein of Royal Honor Amid Scandal

Drawing the line. Queen Elizabeth II revoked Harvey Weinstein’s royal honorific six months after he was sentenced to prison for sexual assault.

Weinstein, 68, was appointed an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004 for his achievements in the entertainment industry. On Friday, September 18, the London Gazette issued a statement that the honor had been stripped away.

“The Queen has directed that the appointment of Harvey Weinstein to be an Honorary Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 29 January 2004, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order,” the public record notice read.

Queen Elizabeth II Strips Harvey Weinstein Royal Honor Amid Scandal
Queen Elizabeth II and Harvey Weinstein. Shutterstock; Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

The film producer was sentenced to 23 years in prison in March after being found guilty of rape one month earlier. Weinstein received his sentence in front of several of the women who had accused him of sexual assault years prior in allegations that sparked the global #MeToo movement.

When The New York Times first exposed claims against the movie mogul in October 2017, including allegations by Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd, he took a leave of absence from his executive position at the Weinstein Company.

“I came of age in the ’60s and ’70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then,” the Oscar winner declared in a statement defending himself at the time. “I have since learned it’s not an excuse, in the office — or out of it. To anyone.”

More information about Weinstein’s history of misconduct against women emerged in Ronan Farrow‘s bombshell New Yorker report published in October 2017. After a 10-month investigation, the journalist, 32, detailed nearly 30 years of claims against Weinstein with testimonies from a number of his victims, including Mira Sorvino and Asia Argento.

Weinstein turned himself in to authorities in New York City in May 2018. After seeing the first step in getting justice against her harasser, McGowan, 47, told Good Morning America that she was prepared for a fight.

“I feel shocked,” the actress said at the time. “I have to admit I didn’t think I would see the day that he would have handcuffs on him. … I will sit in that courtroom. And I will support the other survivors all over the world. That’s what I do.”

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source: usmagazine.com