Bill Cosby's Kennedy Center Honors, Mark Twain Prize have been rescinded

Bill Cosby.
(Image credit: Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images)

Bill Cosby's Kennedy Center Honors and Mark Twain Prize have been revoked, after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault last week.

The comedian was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2009. "The Honors and Mark Twain Prize are given to artists who, through their lifetime of work, have left an indelible impact on American culture," a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said Monday. "As a result of Mr. Cosby's recent criminal conviction, the board concluded that his actions have overshadowed the very career accomplishments these distinctions from the Kennedy Center intend to recognize."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.