The Kennedy Center is revoking high-profile awards it bestowed on Bill Cosby after the actor and comedian was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault.
The Kennedy Center will retract the Kennedy Center Honors Cosby received in 1998 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor he received in 2009, following a vote by the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees on Monday.
“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 said in a statement. “As a result of Mr. Cosby’s recent criminal conviction, the [board of trustees] concluded that his actions have overshadowed the very career accomplishments these distinctions from the Kennedy Center intend to recognize.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board of governors voted to expel Cosby as a member on May 3.
Cosby, 80, faces up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty by a Pennsylvania court on April 26.
