The sexual harassment and abuse allegations surrounding indie movie titan Harvey Weinstein have apparently affected the brand cofounded by his wife, Georgina Chapman.

Last week, in an unfortunate, if clearly inadvertent, bit of timing, Helzberg Diamonds announced that it was partnering with the Marchesa brand to start a new engagement ring collection, the Marchesa Radiant Star Collection.

Chapman, who just announced her separation from the disgraced mogul following the revelations, is cofounder of Marchesa.

But while Helzberg was clearly enthusiastic about the collection last week, its excitement seems to have waned following the scandal. A lot.

JCK wrote the collection up in a story that included a link to the collection. Press that link now, and it redirects to the homepage.

Helzberg is still offering Radiant Stars, though without the word Marchesa attached.

JCK reached out to Helzberg and has not heard back. The Hollywood Reporter quoted a Helzberg rep as staying “the company is not launching the Marchesa brand at this time.”

Helzberg is obviously in a difficult situation here. The Reporter seemed to disapprove of its action severing ties, saying it “raises questions about what kind of message it’s sending to women with this development, considering that Marchesa is Chapman’s business—not Weinstein’s—and she was not the abuser.” However, some of the allegations against Weinstein are so sordid, and the fallout so massive, that it’s perhaps not surprising that the retailer wants nothing to do with the situation.

(Image courtesy of Helzberg)

Rob Bates

JCK News Director