Harvey Weinstein is headed for divorce after wife Georgina Chapman announced she was leaving the embattled movie mogul, and early indications say the divorce could involve $50 million or more in assets.
Weinstein has been under fire since the New York Times published a report detailing the decades of sexual harassment claims against the famed producer, including a number of women that he paid to keep quiet. Though Chapman initially stood by her husband, the number of accusers continued to grow — with a report in the New Yorker adding actresses Asia Argento, Mira Sorvino, and Rosanna Arquette — and on Tuesday she announced that she was leaving Harvey.
Sources said that Georgina Chapman was furious, but not rushing into any divorce actions just yet. The couple were married in 2007 and have two children together.
“Georgina is furious and embarrassed,” a source told People . “She is very upset, but not rushing to file for divorce. This doesn’t even seem like an option.”
“Georgina talks about the incidents like they happened before they were married. Still, it’s very sad and disappointing to Georgina that Harvey has behaved like this. It’s not anything that can just be forgotten, or forgiven.”
There could be much more on the line than just pride. Georgina is the founder of the fashion company Marchesa, which has done a lot of work supplying wardrobes for the Weinstein Company films.
The brand could now be in serious trouble. Some in the fashion world believe that the Weinstein scandal could end up bringing Marchesa down with it, which would leave Georgina Chapman empty-handed.
“No star is ever going to want to wear the brand again,” an unnamed New York fashion publicist told The Hollywood Reporter this week.
But Chapman could have some weight on her side going into the divorce. The embattled Weinstein has lost many of his friends in the movie world, and even the politicians he supported as a major donor of the Democratic Party are turning on him.
Barack and Michelle Obama, whose daughter Malia interned with Weinstein’s company, released a statement on Tuesday condemning Weinstein’s actions.
NEW: Pres Obama & Michelle Obama say they’re “disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein.” pic.twitter.com/9h4RnbegtB
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) October 10, 2017
While details of Harvey Weinstein’s upcoming divorce have not yet come out, there is a chance that it could be very costly, especially given the implications for Georgina’s company. Newsweek speculated that the recently fired Weinstein could get as much as a $90 million buyout from the company he founded, which could now be on the line in his divorce with Georgina Chapman. Given the other assets the movie mogul has — and the role Chapman played in supporting his career — Weinstein’s wife could potentially get $50 million or more depending on the harm the scandal has on her company and any pre-nuptial agreements between the couple.
[Featured Image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]