Bill Cosby's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and Kennedy Center Honors have both been revoked following his criminal conviction for aggravated indecent assault.
The 2009 and 1998 awards, respectively, were rescinded Monday by the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, a spokesperson said the board had voted for the move "as a result of Mr. Cosby's recent criminal conviction," as his actions have "overshadowed the very career accomplishments these distinctions from the Kennedy Center intend to recognize."
Last month, Cosby was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Though each count comes with up to a decade in prison time, CNNnotes that he will most likely serve each sentence concurrently. At the time of the verdict, a judge ordered that Cosby could not travel between his multiple homes without first being equipped with a GPS device. Constand, a former employee of Temple University, is one of more than 60 women who have alleged rape or sexual misconduct.
The Kennedy Center Honors and Mark Twain Prize reversals follow the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' decision earlier this month to expel both Cosby and Rosemary's Baby director Roman Polanski. "The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity," an Academy spokesperson said of the decision. The Television Academy has also scrubbed the comedian's name from its web presence. Additionally, Cosby Show reruns were pulled from Bounce TV.
