Ruth Bader Ginsburg award ceremony is CANCELED after family fumed over four out of five 'women in leadership prizes' being given to MEN including Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch

An award ceremony set to honor the winners of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg award has been canceled after her family members were appalled that the winners were men. 

The Washington, D.C., spring gala was to celebrate Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Milken, Martha Stewart and Sylvester Stallone for winning the award in RBG's name. 

However, the invitation-only event was canceled after Ginsburg's family denounced the award when it was given to Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch, among others. 

The Opperman Foundation has been bestowing the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Leadership Award to extraordinary people since 2020, the same year that the Supreme Court justice passed away at the age of 87.

The chairman of the Opperman Foundation said in a statement released on Monday that the group was pulling the plug to avoid fueling controversy over the 2024 recipient list. 

An award ceremony set to honor the winners of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg award has been canceled after her family members were appalled that the winners were men

'Keeping in mind that our goal is only to do good, the foundation is not interested in creating controversy,' Julie Opperman said. 'It is not interested in generating a debate about whether particular honorees are worthy or not.

'The last thing we intended was to offend the family and friends of RBG,' she continued. 'Our purpose was only to remember her and to honor her leadership.'

Actor Sylvester Stallone, financier Michael Milken, and fashion icon Martha Stewart were named as award recipients this year along with Musk and Murdoch.

Trevor Morris, a former clerk to Ginsburg, told Julia Opperman last week that family members of the late justice wanted to remove her name from the award unless they return to their roots of choosing 'an extraordinary woman' for each award. 

Morris's letter called the list of honorees a 'betrayal of the justice's legacy,' saying 'It is deeply worrisome that the Foundation has decided to apply the new criteria to honor people who exhibit none of the values that animated the Justice's career.'

The letter claimed that the organizers changed the parameters of the honors without consults Ginsburg's family.

Ginsburg's daughter, Columbia Law School professor Jane C. Ginsburg, forwarded the letter to the Opperman Foundation along with her own statement.

'This year, the Opperman Foundation has strayed far from the original mission of the award and from what Justice Ginsburg stood for,' Jane Ginsburg said. 

Neither Jane Ginsburg or Morrison singled out any of the named honorees and it is unclear which of the recipients, if any, will still receive the awards. 

Ginsburg, the legendary late Supreme Court justice, consistently supported progressive positions during her 27 years on the bench.

Her family lashed out at the foundation's choices as 'an affront to the memory of our mother and grandmother', without singling out the two conservative billionaires.

'Not everyone on this year's slate reflects the values to which the Justice dedicated her career, and for which the Justice is rightly revered around the world,' they said.

The Washington, D.C., spring gala was to celebrate Elon Musk (pictured), Rupert Murdoch, Michael Milken, Martha Stewart and Sylvester Stallone for winning the award in RBG's name

However, the invitation-only event was canceled after Ginsburg's family denounced the award when it was given to Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch (pictured), among others

Ginsburg was friends with fellow lawyer Dwight Opperman and approved an award in her name before her death on September 18, 2020.

The award originally recognized 'an extraordinary woman who has exercised a positive and notable influence on society and served as an exemplary role model in both principles and practice'. 

However, the foundation changed the award this year to be open to men as well.

'Justice Ginsburg fought not only for women but for everyone,' foundation chair Julie Opperman said when she announced the awards.

'Going forward, to embrace the fullness of Justice Ginsburg's legacy, we honor both women and men who have changed the world by doing what they do best.' 

The Opperman Foundation said it had no response to the criticism of its selections.

It described this year's honorees as 'path-breaking innovators to seasoned veterans across a broad range of professions and industries'.

Stewart was 'original wish list of potential honorees', Musk was honored for his 'stratospheric accomplishments', and Murdoch was 'the most iconic living legend in media'.

Murdoch said in a statement recognizing his award drew comparisons between his work and Ginsburg's values.

'This recognition not only reflects my journey in the media and publishing industry but also represents the relentless defense of civil liberties and a commitment to civil discourse that Justice Ginsburg embodied,' he said.