Queen Elizabeth II Strips Convicted Rapist Harvey Weinstein of Top U.K. Honor
Over six months after Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in jail for rape and criminal sexual assault, Queen Elizabeth II has stripped the former film producer of his Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire honor that he was awarded in 2004. The title, also know as the CBE, is given by the British monarch to “individuals who have made a distinguished, innovative contribution to any area.” Weinstein produced the U.S.-U.K. co-production “Shakespeare in Love” through his Miramax banner. Released in 1998, “Shakespeare in Love” featured Judi Dench in an Oscar-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth I and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The U.K.’s official public records state: “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.”
As Variety reports, the U.K. government states that recipients of the CBE honor are “expected to be, and remain, good citizens and role models.” For this reason, recipients can be stripped of their honor if they are “found guilty of a criminal offense, behavior which results in censure by a regulatory or a professional body, or any other behavior that is deemed to bring the honors system into disrepute.”
“The decision is made by a Forfeiture Committee,” Variety reported. “One of the reasons the Committee can revoke an honor is when an honoree has been found guilty by the courts of a criminal offense and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than three months.”
Weinstein is now serving his 23-year prison sentence. In April, the former Hollywood heavyweight was found guilty of rape in the third degree and criminal sexual acts in the first degree. The New York trial covered five criminal counts against Weinstein, including two of predatory sexual assault (one involving Miriam Haley and actress Annabella Sciorra) and the other count involving Sciorra and Jessica Mann. In addition to the predatory counts, Weinstein was charged with one count of criminal sexual assault (against Haley) and two counts of rape (one in the first degree and one in the third, both involving Mann).
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