Harvey Weinstein and wife Georgina Chapman split
— -- Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman have split after 10 years of marriage, amid allegations that he sexually harassed and assaulted several women over three decades, Chapman said in a statement to People magazine.
"My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. I have chosen to leave my husband. Caring for my young children is my first priority, and I ask the media for privacy at this time," she said in the statement.
The embattled former movie mogul and Chapman, 41, a fashion designer, began dating in 2004 and tied the knot in 2007. They have two children, India Pearl, 7, and Dashiell Max Robert.
Weinstein has been under fire since last Thursday when The New York Times published a story in which several women over nearly three decades accused him of sexual harassment or unwanted physical contact. By Sunday, the movie mogul had been fired from the Weinstein Co., an entertainment company he co-founded with brother, Bob Weinstein, and four members of the company's all-male board of directors had resigned.
On Tuesday, The New Yorker published a story in which women accused Weinstein of sexual assault.
A spokesperson for the movie executive told The New Yorker, "Any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein."
"Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. Mr. Weinstein obviously can’t speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual," according to the full statement from Weinstein's spokesperson. "Mr. Weinstein has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path. Mr. Weinstein is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance.”
Weinstein’s lawyer said in a statement last week that he planned to sue The New York Times.
"The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein,” attorney Charles J. Harder said in a statement last Thursday. "It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by nine different eyewitnesses. We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women’s organizations."
Weinstein also told The New York Post last week that his wife was standing by him.
"She stands 100 percent behind me. Georgina and I have talked about this at length," Weinstein told the Post last Thursday. "We went out with [Weinstein's former adviser] Lisa Bloom last night when we knew the article was coming out. Georgina will be with Lisa and others kicking my ass to be a better human being and to apologize to people for my bad behavior, to say I’m sorry, and to absolutely mean it."
This is the second marriage for Weinstein — who has three children with first wife, Eve Chilton — and the first for Chapman.
