Georgina Chapman breaks her silence on Harvey Weinstein allegations
After the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein broke in October, there were whispers about what his wife, Marchesa co-founder, Georgina Chapman, did or didn't know.
Chapman tearfully explained in a new interview with Vogue magazine that she'd been "terribly naive" about her husband's behavior and "never" suspected that anything was amiss.
In the immediate aftermath of the New York Times and New Yorker reports, which detailed Weinstein's alleged behavior, Chapman, who shares two young children with the producer, announced that she was leaving him. Their divorce is not yet final.
“I lost ten pounds in five days. I couldn’t keep food down," Chapman said of reading the damning stories. "My head was spinning. And it was difficult because the first article was about a time long before I’d ever met him, so there was a minute where I couldn’t make an informed decision. And then the stories expanded and I realized that this wasn’t an isolated incident. And I knew that I needed to step away and take the kids out of here."
At the end of last year, Weinstein, 66, was accused of sexual assault and harassment by numerous women, with some of the alleged events taking place during the producer's decade-long marriage to 42-year-old Chapman. Weinstein has denied all claims of non-consensual sex, but, still, he was terminated by his production company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In the months after the allegations were made public, Chapman told Vogue she felt "so humiliated and so broken" that she "didn't think it was respectful to go out."
Now, seeing a therapist, she added that it's still "raw."
"I had what I thought was a very happy marriage. I loved my life," she said. "I don’t want to be viewed as a victim... because I don’t think I am. I am a woman in a s--t situation, but it’s not unique.”
These days, she's trying to move forward. Earlier this week, Scarlett Johansson became the first A-lister in months to wear a Marchesa creation on a red carpet, just a few months after Chapman and her co-founder, Keren Craig, decided against doing a traditional fashion show during New York Fashion Week.
"All the women who have been hurt deserve dignity and respect, so I want to give it the time it deserves," Chapman explained. "It’s a time for mourning, really."
She's also looking to leave the Manhattan townhouse she shared with Weinstein. Her goal, she explained, is to enjoy a quieter life, and move her children to a farm in upstate New York.
“As soon as this happened, I had this crazy vision: I know what I need to do. I need to move to a farm upstate. My daughter loves riding; my son responds to animals. I need to build a farm," she said. "I’ve had to look at my life, and maybe I’m going to create something better for my children out of this.”