Harvey Weinstein’s ex Georgina Chapman and her boyfriend Adrien Brody make their belated red carpet debut at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Clean
- Chapman, 45, and Brody, 48, walked the red carpet Saturday at the Tribeca Film Festival for his new thriller Clean
- The couple have reportedly been dating for more than a year, but this marks their first public appearance together
- Chapman, an English fashion designer, was previously married to convicted sex offender and former film producer Harvey Weinstein
- The former couple separated in 2017 and divorced in early 2018, shortly after a torrent of sexual assault and harassment allegations emerged against Weinstein
- She and Brody began their romance in March of 2020
Georgina Chapman and her boyfriend Adrien Brody made their long-awaited red carpet debut on Saturday evening for the premiere of his new crime thriller Clean.
The 45-year-old ex-wife of convicted sex offender and former film producer Harvey Weinstein walked the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City with the 48-year-old Oscar-winning actor by her side.
The pair reportedly began their relationship in March of 2020, with the ongoing coronavirus having kept them out of the spotlight until now.
Fresh start: Georgina Chapman, 45, the ex-wife of convicted felon Harvey Weinstein, made her red carpet debut with Adrien Brody, 48, on Saturday at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York
Georgina was a breath of fresh air on the red carpet with her sheer black dress.
Her top featured a slim slit to showcase her toned midriff and lovely blue embroidered flowers, while the skirt was pure black.
The Marchesa co-founder had her feathered brunette hair swept back to highlight her dangling hoop earrings.
She added some extra sparkle to her look with several gold bracelets, and she elevated her 5ft10in stature with gold open-toe heels.
Stunner: Georgina was a breath of fresh air with her sheer black dress featuring a slit over her midriff and lovely blue floral embroidery on the top
New film: Adrien looked dapper in a maroon suit. He stars as the title character in Clean, about a forgotten man who turns to violence after getting on the bad side of a crime boss
Adrien looked as dapper as ever in a maroon suit with slim peaked lapels.
He wore it with a tie-free burgundy shirt and lustrous black shoes while sporting some designer stubble and a shaggy hairdo.
He plays the lead character Clean in the film of the same name, which he co-wrote with its director, Paul Solet.
Clean has seemingly been forgotten by society and spends his days picking up trash from his neighbors and cleaning up abandoned buildings in his New York City neighborhood.
But after he accidentally finds himself on the bad side of a local crime boss, Clean gives in to his violent instincts and bloody past to defend himself.
The Darjeeling Limited star and his fashion designer partner looked loved-up on the red carpet as she locked her arm in his and affectionately embraced him.
Moving on: Georgina’s relationship with Adrien appears to be her first major coupling since she divorced Weinstein in 2018, shortly after dozens of women accused him of sexual assault and sexual harassment; seen together in 2017
Georgina’s relationship with Adrien appears to be her first major coupling since she divorced Weinstein in 2018.
Although their relationship was first confirmed in March 2020, the two have been together ‘for a while,’ People reported that same month.
A source said the duo work well together because they share ‘many of the same interests.’
‘She thinks he’s unusual and interesting,’ the source continued, adding that Georgina is drawn to Adrien’s ‘deep passion for his work,’ which reminds her of her own dedication to her fashion label.
The Pianist star also ‘diverts her attention from the pain of her situation and subsequent split.’
Georgina’s divorce from Weinstein was finalized in January of 2018, and by May the disgraced superproducer had been charged with ‘rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women’ by the New York District Attorney’s Office.
A source told People in March 2020 that Georgina and Adrien work well together because they share ‘many of the same interests’ and he ‘diverts her attention from the pain of her situation and subsequent split’; seen with Weinstein in 2017
He was convicted in February 2020 of two of the five charges: one count of sexual assault in the first degree and one count of rape in the third degree.
Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison the following month.
His legal troubles have only multiplied, as a judge in New York ruled this week that he could be extradited to California, where he faces 11 additional counts of sexual assault.
The former film mogul is currently appealing his New York convictions.
Despite being married to the convicted criminal for more than a decade, Georgina seems to be trying to hold her head high.
Friends say that the fashion designer ‘does not want to be seen as a victim,’ a right she reserves for the women abused by her ex-husband.
Not standing in the way: Friends say that the fashion designer ‘does not want to be seen as a victim,’ a right she reserves for the women abused by her ex-husband; seen in 2017
In the early months after he was exposed, she scarcely dared to leave her apartment, fearing that having any kind of public profile might seem disrespectful to his victims.
She has undergone therapy to try to cope with her sense of shock and shame.
‘I was so humiliated and broken that I didn’t think it was respectful to go out,’ she said.
She has also had to fight hard to remain in business with her fashion label Marchesa, as her association with Weinstein, whom she married from 2007, has threatened to derail her career.
Not only has she remained in business, but she produces four collections a year and has branched out into children’s clothing.
Fresh start: Georgina on holiday in St Tropez. She met Weinstein at a party in 2004, and had a tiny role in 2006’s Factory Girl, produced by Miramax, the company he co-founded. Weinstein split from first wife Eve in 2004 — she had been his assistant. They have three daughters, the youngest of whom was only two at the time of the divorce
Although some expected her to be a supportive figure for Weinstein at his trial, she opted to remain silent.
His lawyers tried to paint a picture of her as a part of his family, with attorney Donna Rotunno saying: ‘They are divorced but they work well together with the kids.’
She added that the children ‘rely’ on their father ‘on a daily basis’, noting: ‘He’s been seeing the younger kids their whole lives. They live next door to each other, he has a great relationship with [them].’
But Georgina’s friends say things are by no means ‘cosy’ between them.
‘It’s a little damper than has been indicated,’ says one. He did not, for one thing, live ‘next door’.
Georgina wasn’t among those who visited Weinstein in the hospital following his conviction. In fact, she left the country with her children before the trial.
Adrien, who took home the Best Actor Academy Award for Roman Polanski’s film The Pianist, seems to be everything Weinstein was not — charming, discreet and self-deprecating.
Romance blossomed after he and Georgina met at the launch of Helena Christensen’s swimwear range last April. They were spotted having dinner together in New York in autumn.
It was said she wasn’t interested in dating post-Harvey, but she has found that Adrien has been a source of support.
Behind-the-scenes intrigue: Roman Polanski, who directed Brody to an Oscar win for The Pianist, suggested in 2019 that Weinstein had tried to sabotage the film to gin up his own Oscar prospects; seen in 2003 in Cannes, France
Although Adrien doesn’t appear to have strong ties to Weinstein, he has been photographed being chummy with the film mogul over the years, as have many Hollywood stars.
In 2019, director Roman Polanski suggested that Weinstein may have been responsible for a negative publicity campaign in hopes of hurting his film The Pianist, which Brody starred in.
I know that in 2003, Weinstein panicked when The Pianist won two BAFTAs, including Best Film,’ he told Paris Match. ‘Weinstein, who had two films nominated at the Oscars, launched a campaign to stop the same thing happening in Hollywood. It was he who dug up the [then] 26-year-old story with Samantha and which was no longer of interest to anyone. His press attaché was the first person to call me a “child rapist.” The paradox is that The Pianist didn’t win the Best Picture Oscar, a prize that goes to the producer, but I won Best Director.’
Polanski fled the United States in 1978 while on trial after pleading guilty to one charge of ‘unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor’ when he was led to believe the judge was planning to throw out his plea deal and sentence him to decades in prison.
With a new man in her life — and a determination to not be brought down by the sins of her ex-husband — Georgina is embracing a new beginning.
The British model and former actress, who attended Kate Middleton’s alma mater Marlborough College, was born into money.
Her father Brian Chapman is a multi-millionaire who founded the Percol coffee brand. He has houses in Wimbledon and on the Isle of Wight.
Her mother, Caroline Wonfor, worked for Reader’s Digest. They are divorced, and Caroline lives in Richmond.
Georgina boarded at St David’s in Ashford, Surrey. She has dyslexia, but this was not diagnosed until she was eight.
In the first five months after he was exposed, Georgina scarcely dared to leave her apartment — she feared that having any kind of public profile might seem disrespectful to his victims. She has undergone therapy to try to cope with her sense of shock and shame; seen in 2009
She also suffered from a hip defect which gave her pigeon toes.
‘I was incredibly clumsy, and it set me back at school socially,’ she said.
‘I was always that kid who was the last to be picked for any sport as I couldn’t do it.’
She left school to model aged 17, then decided to go into acting. She had roles in the 2003 TV adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s Sons And Lovers, and in Julian Fellowes’s film adaptation of P. G. Wodehouse’s Piccadilly Jim.
She met Weinstein at a party in 2004, and had a tiny role in 2006’s Factory Girl, produced by Miramax, the company he co-founded.
Weinstein split from first wife Eve in 2004 — she had been his assistant. They have three daughters, the youngest of whom was only two at the time of the divorce.
At first, there was panic about how Eve might take the news of Harvey’s very young girlfriend. Georgina is 24 years his junior.
Journalists were phoned and offered access in perpetuity to ‘every party Harvey threw’ in return for killing a story about their romance.
It was said that Georgina’s mother, in particular, had doubts about her dating Weinstein, already infamous in the film business as a swaggering bully.
Strongarming: Weinstein did his part to try to get his leading actresses to wear Marchesa on the red carpet, though some, including Jessica Chastain, refused; seen in 2014
Georgina had taken a foundation course at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, and in 2004 she and best friend Keren Craig rented a studio to make clothes. They called their fledgling label Marchesa after Marchesa Luisa Casati, an Italian heiress.
Quickly, a series of useful associations fell into place. Swarovski sponsored Marchesa, they met with the Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe, and Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon gave them advice on getting their clothes on the red carpet.
In November 2004 Renee Zellweger wore a Marchesa dress to the UK premiere of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Zellweger said: ‘This is a new British designer, it’s Marchesa. It’s weighted and hand-embroidered. I just love it so much.’ The fact that the producer’s girlfriend had made the gown may just have ignited her enthusiasm.
After Renee, the department store Neiman Marcus offered to stock Marchesa and help the company create a diffusion line. Georgina moved to New York.
The speed with which Marchesa was a success raised some eyebrows. In 2006, the Los Angeles Times published an article titled ‘The Harvey Factor?’ which observed: ‘Competitors complain that Marchesa dresses are worn on the red carpet because the stars — and their agents, managers and lawyers — need to please the powerful Weinstein. Say the word ‘Marchesa’ and publicists groan.’
Naturally, Weinstein — who married Georgina in December 2007 at his waterfront Connecticut estate before a star-studded crowd that included Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Renee Zellweger — was among the first investors in the nascent business.
The New York Times reported that he made ‘timely contributions in amounts the company would not disclose’.
Another primary backer was a good friend of Weinstein’s — Giuseppe Cipriani. Here the story of Marchesa takes a darker turn, for it was at Cipriani’s New York bar Socialista in 2007 that journalist Lauren Sivan encountered Weinstein.
She had dinner with Cipriani and Weinstein before the producer suggested he show her the restaurant downstairs and then cornered her — and masturbated into a plant pot.
Ms Sivan described Cipriani’s restaurants as Weinstein’s ‘hunting ground’. At least three allegations of assault by Weinstein took place at properties owned by Cipriani.
In a better place: Adrien and Georgina are ‘very happy’, and the new romance is a ‘positive’ element in the new life she has been building; seen in 2019 in France
But with Cipriani’s money, and Weinstein’s encouragement, the Marchesa brand became popular.
Cate Blanchett wore a Marchesa mini to the Rome premiere of The Aviator, while Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Diane Kruger also graced the red carpet in its gowns. The label was named Red Carpet Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2007.
Not every actress, however, was biddable when it came to supporting Weinstein’s wife. Actress Jessica Chastain says she was asked to wear Marchesa to the premiere of The Weinstein Company’s 2014 film The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby. She refused, opting for Versace instead.
Harvey Weinstein later chided her when introducing her at an event.
‘He actually told the audience, “If I had to get in a boxing ring with Muhammad Ali or Jessica Chastain, I would choose Muhammad Ali,”‘Chastain said.
On October 5, 2017, as Georgina Chapman was at New York Bridal Week presenting Marchesa’s latest collection, The New York Times published its exposé accusing Weinstein of paying off sexual harassment accusers for decades.
Upmarket jewelry retailer Helzberg Diamonds canceled a planned collaboration with Marchesa and its ready-to-wear show was also canned.
Standing up for her: Some of Georgina’s fashion friend, including Anna Wintour, have defended her since Weinstein’s disgrace. ‘I don’t think she should be blamed for her husband’s behavior,’ Wintour said; Georgina and Weinstein seen in 2017
Georgina released a statement which ran: ‘My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. I have chosen to leave my husband.’
In the immediate aftermath, things looked bleak. #BoycottMarchesa began trending on Twitter.
A New York fashion publicist was quoted as saying: ‘No star is ever going to want to wear the brand again.’
Friend and model Karen Elson said that people assumed Georgina must have been aware of her husband’s abuse.
In an interview, Karen said: ‘She must have known’ is what so many people say at dinner parties. The thing that pains me is that when anyone finds out I know George, that’s the first thing they say. Like she is somehow responsible for his hideous behavior.
‘When I say, ‘Well, actually she didn’t know,’ it becomes this other judgment: ‘How could she not have known?’ It’s so complicated.’
Georgina gave an interview to Vogue — run by close friend Anna Wintour — to try to put some distance between herself and Weinstein.
She said: ‘There was a part of me that was terribly naive. I have moments of rage, I have moments of confusion, I have moments of disbelief. And I have moments when I just cry for my children. What are their lives going to be? What are people going to say to them? It’s like, they love their dad. They love him. I just can’t bear it for them.’
She went on to claim she ‘never’ knew. ‘That’s what makes this so incredibly painful: I had what I thought was a very happy marriage. I loved my life,’ she added.
The British model and former actress, who attended Kate Middleton’s alma mater Marlborough College, was born into money. Her father Brian Chapman is a multi-millionaire who founded the Percol coffee brand; seen in 2008
A few months later, Vogue ran a piece asking if it was time to start wearing Marchesa again.
Anna Wintour apparently suggested Scarlett Johansson wear the label to the Met Gala in 2018. Johansson obliged.
‘It is my pleasure to support a brand created by two incredibly talented and important female designers,’ she said.
A few says later, Wintour told The Late Show in America: ‘Georgina is a brilliant designer and I don’t think she should be blamed for her husband’s behavior.’
There have been other encouraging voices.
Steven Kolb, the CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, said: ‘Scarlett wearing the dress at the Met hopefully begins to move the brand away from an unfair exile. It should have a place in our industry.’
Actress Priyanka Chopra also wore Marchesa at her New York bridal shower, noting: ‘Georgina’s a friend of mine, and it’s not her fault.’
Additional reporting: Daniel Bates in New York
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