Andrew Cuomo’s Emmy Award is rescinded by International Academy
Andrew Cuomo became the former governor of New York on Monday.
As of Tuesday, he is no longer an Emmy honoree.
The disgraced politician, who resigned over allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women while serving in office, is losing the award bestowed on him last November by the International Academy, which presents the international Emmys.
“The International Academy announced today that in light of the New York Attorney General’s report, and Andrew Cuomo’s subsequent resignation as governor, it is rescinding his special 2020 International Emmy Award,” the organization said in a statement. “His name and any reference to his receiving the award will be eliminated from International Academy materials going forward.”
On Nov. 20, Cuomo was presented with the 2020 International Emmy Founders Award for what the International Academy called “his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world.”
Cuomo received accolades through much of 2020 for providing clarity and comfort during his daily televised press conferences on the state’s handling of the pandemic in the early months of the public health crisis.
But Cuomo’s stature dropped dramatically in 2021.
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In February, Cuomo came under fire in reports that the governor’s office undercounted the number of COVID-19 deaths that occurred in the state’s nursing homes. At the same time, several women — some of whom worked in the governor’s office — accused the then-governor of unwanted kissing, groping and making inappropriate comments.
The allegations led to a state investigation that found Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women who were current and former staffers and others who did not work for his administration. The probe also found Cuomo violated state and federal laws with his actions.
Cuomo denied any intentional wrongdoing but decided to step down rather than go through an impeachment trial. He resigned on Aug. 10 and left office Monday.
Cuomo is the second International Emmy Founders Award honoree to have his honor revoked in recent years.
The academy announced actor Kevin Spacey as its honoree in 2017 ahead of its annual awards show held in November. But a month before the event, actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of trying to have sex with him when he was 14, and the award was revoked.
Spacey said he did not remember the incident with Rapp, who later filed suit against the actor.
Other disgraced show business personalities have seen their awards pulled back in response to their scandals.
After comedian Bill Cosby was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault, he was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and saw his Kennedy Center Honor and Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018 rescinded. (Cosby was released from prison after his conviction was reversed earlier this year)
After being charged with sexual assault by a number of women, film mogul Harvey Weinstein was stripped of many of the awards he received over his long career, including the honorary title he received from Queen Elizabeth II. His membership on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors was also revoked.
Director Roman Polanski was expelled from the academy in 2018 over his statutory rape case that dates to 1978, even though he earned a best director Oscar in 2003 for “The Piano” while being a fugitive from justice.
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