In October, an avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein began. In the months since, dozens of women have come forward with stories about being abused by Weinstein. But there was one person who had yet to speak out: his estranged wife, Georgina Chapman.
That changed, as Chapman sat for an emotional interview with Vogue, published Thursday. The 42-year-old designer and Marchesa owner opened up about her feelings of shock and betrayal, saying, "There was a part of me that was terribly naive — clearly, so naive." Chapman was "shocked" by the allegations against her husband, she said, adding: "I have moments of rage, I have moments of confusion, I have moments of disbelief!"
Chapman told the magazine that in particular, a big part of her grieving process has been mourning for her two children, 7-year-old India and 5-year-old Dashiell. They adore their father, the designer said, and she worries about what terrible things people will say to them about Weinstein — who despite it all, Chapman said, is an incredible father.
For five months, Chapman refused to be seen in public because she didn't think it was appropriate. "I thought, 'Who am I to be parading around with all of this going on?' It's still so very, very raw." In January, she canceled Marchesa's runway show for its fall 2018 collection and decided to stop offering clothes for awards season because she "didn't feel it was appropriate, given the situation."
But that didn't stop people from supporting Chapman and her work. Scarlett Johansson wore a Marchesa gown to the Met Gala on Monday, and two days later, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour guest-starred on Stephen Colbert's late-night show and showed her support for Chapman. "Georgina is a brilliant designer, and I don't think that she should be blamed for her husband's behavior,” Wintour told Colbert.
Read more of Chapman's interview with Vogue here.