Harvey Weinstein Never Paid for the $100,000 Cecily Brown He Bought at Planned Parenthood’s Charity Auction

Planned Parenthood isn't returning Harvey Weinstein's money because he never made good on the donation.

Harvey Weinstein. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

In May, Harvey Weinstein attended Planned Parenthood’s 100th Anniversary Gala in New York, pledging $100,000 for a Cecily Brown painting at the evening’s charity auction, which featured Hillary Clinton as a speaker. Famed auctioneer Simon de Pury slammed down the gavel, naming the film executive proud new owner of the artist’s 2015 canvas Untitled (Young Spartans). Now, amid a growing number of allegations that Weinstein sexually harassed and assaulted multiple women over a span of decades, some right-wing outlets have been eager to highlight the former Democratic donor’s connection to Planned Parenthood—and his bid for the artwork.

However, the organization now says it never received Weinstein’s money. According to Planned Parenthood, the disgraced producer didn’t make good on his bid for the painting. “Harvey Weinstein is not and has never been a donor to Planned Parenthood Federation of America,” a representative told artnet News in an email. “The $100,000 pledge referenced went unfulfilled.”

Planned Parenthood is working to find a new home for Cecily Brown’s canvas. “Out of respect for the artist, the work is being placed in a more suitable private collection,” the representative said, noting that the painting was being sold for the same price as Weinstein’s initial bid, which was officially taken down as $95,000.

Cecily Brown, <em>Untitled (Young Spartans)</em>, 2015. Courtesy of Planned Parenthood.

Cecily Brown, Untitled (Young Spartans), 2015. Courtesy of Planned Parenthood.

Last weekend, Weinstein was ousted from the company that bears his name after the New York Times published a blockbuster report in which multiple women, including actress Ashley Judd, accused the executive of sexual harassment. Since the initial report, a slew of women—including stars such as Angelina Jolie, Gwenyth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, and Kate Beckinsale—have come forward to level more allegations against Weinstein, including three accusations of rape.

Representatives from the Weinstein Company did not respond to artnet News’s request for comment.


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