Brendan McDermid/Reuters
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has rescinded the awards it gave to Bill Cosby as a result of his “recent criminal conviction,” the center announced Monday. In a statement announcing the decision, the Kennedy Center said it honors “artists who, throughout their lifetime of work, have left an indelible imprint on American culture.” The actions of Cosby, who last week was convicted of aggravated indecent assault against former Temple University employee Andrea Constand, “have overshadowed the very career accomplishments these distinctions from the Kennedy Center intend to recognize,” the center said. The move, a first for the Kennedy Center, comes after Cosby was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week. Dozens of women have accused Cosby of drugging them and sexually assaulting them in alleged incidents dating back to the 1960s, though in many cases, the statute of limitations has prevented prosecutors from taking action.