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Wikipedia

Bill Cosby

April 07, 2023

Not to be confused with Bill Cobbs.

William Henry Cosby Jr. (/ˈkɒzbi/ KOZ-bee; born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, and media personality. He has made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and gained a reputation as "America's Dad" for his portrayal of Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show (1984–1992). He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his career, many of which were revoked following sexual assault allegations made against him in 2014.

Bill Cosby
Cosby in 2011
Born
William Henry Cosby Jr.

(1937-07-12) July 12, 1937 (age 85)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationTemple University (BS)
University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA, EdD)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • media personality
Years active1961–2018
Spouse
​
(m. 1964)​
Children5, including Erika and Ennis
AwardsList of awards
HonorsList of honorary degrees
Comedy career
MediumStand-up comedy, film, television
GenresObservational comedy, satire, surreal humor, deadpan
Websitebillcosby.com

Cosby began his career as a stand-up comic at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco during the 1960s. Throughout the decade, he released several standup comedy records which consecutively earned him the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album from 1965 to 1970. He also had a starring role in the television crime show I Spy (1965–1968) opposite Robert Culp. Cosby made history when he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1966, making him the first African American to earn an Emmy Award for acting.[1] His acting career continued as he starred in the sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, which ran for two seasons from 1969 to 1971.

In 1972, using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand-up routines, Cosby created, produced, and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids which ran until 1985, centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area. Throughout the 1970s Cosby starred in various films including Sidney Poitier's Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and Let's Do It Again (1975), and Neil Simon's California Suite (1978) alongside Richard Pryor. He also starred in the original cast of The Electric Company alongside Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman from 1971 to 1973. He was also a popular spokesperson in advertising for decades, for various products including the Jell-O ice pop treats Pudding Pop.

Beginning in the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in the television sitcom The Cosby Show, which was rated as the number one show in America from 1985 through 1989. The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family. Cosby produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993. He also starred in The Cosby Mysteries (1994–1995), the sitcom Cosby (1996–2000) and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998–2000). He then created and produced the animated children's program Little Bill (1999–2004). He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2002.

Cosby has been the subject of numerous sexual assault allegations which became highly publicized in 2014, after Hannibal Buress brought them back into the public spotlight during a stand-up routine, prompting more women to come forward with accusations. Following the allegations, media organizations pulled reruns of The Cosby Show and other television programs featuring Cosby from syndication. In 2018, he was convicted of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand. He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, for violations of Cosby's 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights.[2][3][4] Cosby's legal issues have continued following his release from prison.[5]

Early life and further education

Cosby was born on July 12, 1937,[6] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[7] He is one of four sons of Anna Pearl (née Hite), a maid, and William Henry Cosby Sr., who served as a mess steward in the U.S. Navy.[7][8]

 
Cosby as a basketball player during his Navy service in 1957

Cosby was the class president as well as captain of both the baseball and track-and-field teams at Mary Channing Wister Public School in Philadelphia.[9][10] Teachers noted his propensity for joking around instead of studying, and he described himself as the class clown.[11] At FitzSimons Junior High School, Cosby acted in plays and continued to compete in sports.[citation needed] Cosby attended Philadelphia's Central High School, a magnet school and academically rigorous college prep school, where he ran track and played baseball, football, and basketball.[citation needed] He transferred to Germantown High School but failed the tenth grade.[12]

In 1956,[13] Cosby enlisted in the Navy and served as a hospital corpsman at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia; at Naval Station Argentia in Newfoundland, Canada; and at the National Naval Medical Center in Maryland.[14] He worked in physical therapy with Navy and Marine Corps personnel who were injured during the Korean War.[14] He served until 1960 and became a petty officer 3rd class.

Cosby earned his high school equivalency diploma through correspondence courses[15] and was awarded a track-and-field scholarship to Temple University in 1961.[16] At Temple, he studied physical education while he ran track and played fullback on the college's football team.[17] Cosby began bartending at a Philadelphia club, where he earned bigger tips by making the customers laugh. He then began performing on stage, and left his university studies to pursue a career in comedy.[18]

Cosby resumed his formal education in 1971. Temple University granted him his bachelor's degree on the basis of what it referred to as life experience.[19] He then began graduate work at UMass Amherst, receiving his Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1972.

He returned to UMass Amherst, and in 1976, while producing Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, he earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D) degree. His dissertation was titled An Integration of the Visual Media Via 'Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids' into the Elementary School Curriculum as a Teaching Aid and Vehicle to Achieve Increased Learning.[20][21]

Career

Stand-up comedy

External audio
  From Philly Projects to America's Dad, 17:30, Newsworks, WHYY[22]
  Bill Cosby: the man and the trial, 49:44, Radio Times, WHYY[23]

Cosby lined up stand-up jobs at clubs in Philadelphia and then in New York City, where he appeared at The Gaslight Cafe beginning in 1961.[20] He booked dates in cities such as Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. In the summer of 1963, he received national exposure on NBC's The Tonight Show. This led to a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records which, in 1964, released his debut LP, Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right!, the first of a series of comedy albums.[24] His album To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With was number one on Spin magazine's list of "The 40 Greatest Comedy Albums of All Time", calling it "stand-up comedy's masterpiece".[25]

While many comics of the time were using the growing freedom of that decade to explore controversial and sometimes risqué material, Cosby was making his reputation with humorous recollections of his childhood. Many Americans wondered about the absence of race as a topic in Cosby's stories. As Cosby's success grew he had to defend his choice of material regularly; as he argued, "A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things the same way. That must mean that we are alike. Right? So I figure this way I'm doing as much for good race relations as the next guy."[26]

In 1983, Cosby released the concert film Bill Cosby: Himself which is widely regarded as "the greatest comedy concert film ever".[27] Cosby performed his first TV stand-up special in 30 years, Bill Cosby: Far from Finished, on Comedy Central on November 23, 2013.[28] His last show of the "Far from Finished" tour was performed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia on May 2, 2015.[29] In 2014, Cosby was set to release his new standup special Bill Cosby 77 on Netflix.[30] The release of the film was canceled due to allegations of sexual assault against Cosby.[31] His last known standup performance prior to his conviction was held at the LaRose Jazz Club in Philadelphia on January 23, 2018.[32]

Television and film

 
Cosby in 1966

In 1965, Cosby was cast alongside Robert Culp in the I Spy espionage adventure series on NBC. I Spy became the first weekly dramatic television series to feature an African-American in a starring role.[33] At first, Cosby and NBC executives were concerned that some affiliates might be unwilling to carry the series. At the beginning of the 1965 season, four stations declined the show; they were in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.[34] Viewers were taken with the show's exotic locales and the authentic chemistry between the stars. It became one of the ratings hits of the season. I Spy finished among the twenty most-watched shows that year, and Cosby was honored with three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.[35] When accepting his third Emmy for the show, Cosby told the audience: "Let the message be known to bigots and racists that they don't count!"[35]

During the series' run, Cosby continued to do stand-up comedy performances and recorded half a dozen record albums for Warner Bros. Records. He also began to dabble in singing, recording Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings in 1967.[36] In June 1968, Billboard magazine reported that Cosby had turned down a five-year, $3.5 million contract renewal offer and would leave the label in August that year to record for his own record label.[37]

 
Cosby in 1969

In July 1968, Cosby narrated Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed, a CBS documentary addressing the representation of black people in popular culture.[38] Andy Rooney wrote the Emmy-awarded script[39] for Cosby to read.[40] Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson said it was one of "the rare exceptions when Cosby took off the gloves and blinders, to discuss race in public with candor and discernment".[41] Due to its popularity and controversial nature, it was rebroadcast less than a month later.[42]

Tetragrammaton Records, a division of the Campbell, Silver, Cosby (CSC) Corporation—the Los Angeles–based production company founded by Cosby, his manager Roy Silver, and filmmaker Bruce Post Campbell—produced films as well as records, including Cosby's television specials, the Fat Albert cartoon special and series, and several motion pictures. CSC hired Artie Mogull as President of the label. Tetragrammaton was fairly active during 1968–69, but ceased trading during the 1970s.[43]

Throughout the 1960s Cosby pursued a variety of additional television projects, and appeared as a regular guest host on The Tonight Show and as the star of an annual special for NBC. In 1969, he returned with another series, The Bill Cosby Show, a situation comedy that ran for two seasons. Cosby played a physical education teacher at a Los Angeles high school. While only a modest critical success, the show was a ratings hit, finishing eleventh in its first season. Cosby was lauded for using African-American performers such as Lillian Randolph, Moms Mabley, and Rex Ingram as characters. According to commentary on the Season 1 DVDs for the show, Cosby was at odds with NBC over his refusal to include a laugh track in the show, as he felt viewers had the ability to find humor for themselves when watching a TV show.[citation needed]

For the PBS series The Electric Company, Cosby recorded several segments teaching reading skills to young children.[44] Cosby resumed his formal education in 1971; he began graduate work at UMass Amherst. In 1972, he was back in prime time with a variety series, The New Bill Cosby Show. However, this show lasted only a season. More successful was a Saturday-morning cartoon, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, hosted by Cosby and based on his own childhood. That series ran from 1972 to 1979, then ran as The New Fat Albert Show in 1979, and finally ran as The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Cosby would use his experience producing Fat Albert in his educational endeavors; his dissertation for his Ed. D. at UMass Amherst discussed the use of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids as a teaching tool in elementary schools.

During the 1970s, Cosby and other African-American actors, including Sidney Poitier, joined forces to make successful comedy films to counter the violent "blaxploitation" films of the era, such as Uptown Saturday Night in 1974; Let's Do It Again in 1975; and in 1976, Mother, Jugs & Speed, co-starring Raquel Welch and Harvey Keitel.

In 1976, Cosby starred in A Piece of the Action with Poitier; and California Suite, a compilation of four Neil Simon plays. He also hosted Cos in 1976. In addition, he produced an hour-long variety show featuring puppets, sketches, and musical numbers. It was during this season that ABC decided to take advantage of this phase of Cosby's career, by joining with Filmation producers of Fat Albert to create live-action segments starring Cosby, for the 1972 animated film Journey Back to Oz; it subsequently aired in syndication. Cosby was also a regular on children's public television programs starting in the 1970s, hosting the "Picture Pages" segments that lasted into the early 1980s.[45]

 
Cosby wearing a sweater in 1990, similar to the ones he wore on The Cosby Show in the role of Cliff Huxtable

Cosby's greatest television success came in September 1984 with the debut of The Cosby Show. Cosby, an advocate for family-oriented humor, co-produced the series, held creative control and involved himself in every aspect of production. Plots were often based on ideas that Cosby suggested while in meetings with the writing staff.[46] The show had parallels to Cosby's actual family life: like the characters Cliff and Clair Huxtable, Cosby and his wife Camille were college-educated and financially successful, and they had five children. On the show, Cosby played the role of an obstetrician. Much of the material from the pilot and first season of The Cosby Show was taken from his video Bill Cosby: Himself,[citation needed] released in 1983. The series was an immediate success, debuting near the top of the ratings and staying there for most of its eight-season run.[citation needed]

In 1987, Cosby attempted to return to film with the spy spoof Leonard Part 6. Although Cosby himself was the producer and wrote the story, he realized during production that the film was not going to be what he wanted and publicly denounced it, warning audiences to stay away.[47] The film was however marked the first project for Columbia to be greenlighted by studio executive David Puttman.[48] Later in the 1980s, Cosby served as an advisor to the Los Angeles Student Film Institute.[49][50]

After The Cosby Show went off the air in 1992, Cosby embarked on a number of other projects, which included a revival of the classic Groucho Marx game show You Bet Your Life (1992–93), the TV-movie I Spy Returns (1994), and The Cosby Mysteries (1994). In the mid-1990s, he appeared as a detective in black-and-white film noir-themed commercials for Turner Classic Movies. During this time he reunited with Sidney Poitier starring in Ghost Dad (1990), and appeared in minor roles in Robert Townsend's superhero comedy The Meteor Man (1993), and Francis Ford Coppola's coming of age film Jack (1996). In addition, he was interviewed in Spike Lee's HBO project 4 Little Girls (1997), a documentary about the 1963 racist bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama which injured 22 people, killing four girls.

Also in 1996, he started up a new show for CBS, Cosby, again co-starring Phylicia Rashād, his onscreen wife on The Cosby Show. Cosby co-produced the show for Carsey-Werner Productions. It centered on Cosby as Hilton Lucas, an iconoclastic senior citizen who tries to find a new job after being downsized and, in the meantime, gets on his wife's nerves. Madeline Kahn co-starred as Rashād's goofy business partner Pauline. Cosby was hired by CBS to be the official spokesman of its Detroit affiliate WWJ-TV during an advertising campaign from 1995 to 1998. Cosby also hosted a CBS special, Kids Say the Darndest Things on February 6, 1995, which was followed after as a full season show, with Cosby as host, from January 9, 1998, to June 23, 2000.[51] After four seasons, Cosby was canceled. Its last episode aired April 28, 2000. Kids Say the Darndest Things was terminated the same year.

 
Cosby performing in 2010

A series for preschoolers, Little Bill, created by Cosby as a semi-biographical representation of his childhood growing up in Philadelphia, made its debut on Nickelodeon in 1999. The network renewed the popular program in November 2000. In 2001, Cosby's agenda included the publication of a new book, as well as delivering the commencement addresses at Morris Brown College,[52] Ohio State University,[53] and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[54] Also that year, he signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to develop a live-action feature film centering on the popular Fat Albert character from his 1970s cartoon series. Co-written and executive produced by Cosby, Fat Albert was released in theaters in December 2004. Cosby makes an appearance in the film as himself.

In May 2007, Cosby spoke at the commencement of High Point University.[55] In the summer of 2009, Cosby hosted a comedy gala at Montreal's Just for Laughs, the largest comedy festival in the world.[56] During this time he also made an appearance in Mario Van Peebles film Baadasssss! in 2003.

Other projects

Advertising

Main article: Bill Cosby in advertising
 
Cosby in a 1976 Ford advertisement

Cosby was a popular spokesperson for advertising from the 1960s – before his first starring television role – until the early 2000s. He started with White Owl cigars, and later endorsed Jell-O pudding and gelatin, Del Monte, Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola (including New Coke), American Red Cross, Texas Instruments, E. F. Hutton & Co., Kodak, and the 1990 United States Census. As of 2002, Cosby held the record for being the longest-serving celebrity spokesperson for a product, through his work with Jell-O. In 2011, he won the President's Award for Contributions to Advertising from the Advertising Hall of Fame. Cosby was one of the first black people to appear in the United States as an advertising spokesperson. He was known for his appeal to white consumers in the second half of the 20th century, in an industry seen as slow to accept diversity.[57] In spite of making contradictory soft drink pitches and endorsing a disgraced financial company, he continued to be considered effective and believable. In the 1980s, studies found Cosby the "most familiar" and "most persuasive" spokesperson, to the point where Cosby attributed his wealth to these contracts, as opposed to his television series.

Politics

Cosby received an award at the celebration of the 50th-anniversary commemoration of Brown v. Board of Education ruling—a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court that outlawed racial segregation in public schools. Later, in May 2004, he made public remarks critical of African-Americans who put higher priorities on sports, fashion, and "acting hard" than on education, self-respect, and self-improvement. He pleaded for African-American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of American culture.[58][59] In the Pound Cake speech, Cosby asked that African-American parents teach their children better morals at a younger age. As reported in The Washington Times, Cosby "told reporters during a special session of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 34th annual legislative conference [that] parenting needs to come to the forefront. If you need help and you don't know how to parent, we want to be able to reach out and touch you."[60] Richard Leiby of The Washington Post reported, "Bill Cosby was anything but politically correct in his remarks Monday night at a Constitution Hall bash commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision."[61]

 
Cosby at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2006

Cosby was again criticized, and was largely unapologetic, for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech at a July 1 meeting of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition that commemorated the anniversary of Brown v. Board, where he said "... you've got to stop beating up your women because you can't find a job, because you didn't want to get an education and now you're [earning] minimum wage."[62][63] During that speech, he admonished blacks for not assisting or concerning themselves with the individuals who are involved with crime or have counterproductive aspirations. He further described those who needed attention as blacks who "had forgotten the sacrifices of those in the Civil Rights Movement".[64]

In 2005, Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson wrote a book, Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?[65] In the book, Dyson wrote that Cosby was overlooking larger social factors that reinforce poverty and associated crime; factors such as deteriorating schools, stagnating wages, dramatic shifts in the economy, offshoring and downsizing, chronic underemployment, and job and capital flight.[66] Dyson suggested that Cosby's comments "betray classist, elitist viewpoints rooted in generational warfare".[65] However, Cornel West defended Cosby and his remarks, saying, "He's speaking out of great compassion and trying to get folk to get on the right track, 'cause we've got some brothers and sisters who are not doing the right things, just like in times in our own lives, we don't do the right thing ... He is trying to speak honestly and freely and lovingly, and I think that's a very positive thing."[67]

In a 2008 interview, Cosby mentioned Philadelphia; Atlanta; Chicago; Detroit; Oakland, California; and Springfield, Massachusetts among the cities where crime was high and young African-American men were being murdered and jailed in disproportionate numbers. Cosby stood his ground against criticism and affirmed that African-American parents were continuing to fail to inculcate proper standards of moral behavior.[68]

Cosby's social commentary led to the unsealing of documents in a previous civil suit by a woman who had accused Cosby of sexual assault, which in turn sparked renewed interest in older allegations. The judge ruled that releasing the sealed documents was justified by the "stark contrast between Bill Cosby, the public moralist and Bill Cosby, the subject of serious allegations concerning improper (and perhaps criminal) conduct".[69]

Cosby has also been critical of conservative Republican politicians in regard to their views on socioeconomic and racial issues. In a 2013, CNN interview regarding voting rights, Cosby stated "this Republican Party is not the Republican Party of 1863, of Abraham Lincoln, abolitionists and slavery, is not good. I think it's important for us to look at the underlying part of it. What is the value of it? Is it that some people are angry because my people no longer want to work for free?"[70]

Sexual abuse allegations

Main article: Bill Cosby sexual assault cases

1965–1996 allegations

The earliest allegation against Cosby dates back to December 1965: in 2005, Kristina Ruehli came forward as Jane Doe #12 in the Andrea Constand case and alleged that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her at that time in his Beverly Hills home. Further, Ruehli said she had told her boyfriend about the incident, and had told her daughter in the 1980s.[71]

In the early 1980s, Joan Tarshis told freelance reporter John Milward about an alleged sexual assault by Cosby. Milward did not write about the allegations.[72] In 1996, Playboy Playmate Victoria Valentino gave a videotaped interview in which she made sexual assault allegations against Cosby. The interview was conducted for an exposé on the lives of Playboy models, which was never published.[72]

After the allegations resurfaced in 2014, Wendy Williams recalled that during her radio show in 1990, she referred to sexual assault allegations against Cosby that had been published in the National Enquirer tabloid. Williams said Cosby called her boss in the middle of the broadcast demanding that Williams be fired.[73][74][75]

Later allegations and investigations (2000–2006)

On February 1, 2000, according to a statement provided by Detective Jose McCallion of the New York County District Attorney's Special Victims Bureau, Lachele Covington, who was 20 years old at the time, filed a criminal complaint against Cosby alleging that on January 28, 2000, at his Manhattan townhouse, he had tried to put her hands down his pants and then exposed himself. Covington also alleged that Cosby grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hands down her pants. Cosby was questioned and insisted "it was not true." The New York City Police Department (NYPD) referred her complaint to the D.A., but they declined to prosecute.[76]

In January 2004, Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, accused Cosby of drugging and fondling her; however, in February 2005, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania's District Attorney said there would be no charges due to insufficient credible and admissible evidence.[77] Constand then filed a civil claim in March 2005, with thirteen women as potential witnesses if the case went to court.[78][79] Cosby settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in November 2006.[78] After learning that charges were not pursued in the Constand case, California lawyer Tamara Lucier Green, the only publicly named woman in the prior case, came forward with allegations in February 2005 that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s.[80][81][82] Cosby's lawyer said Cosby did not know her and that the events did not happen.[83]

In a July 2005 Philadelphia Daily News interview, Beth Ferrier, one of the anonymous "Jane Doe" witnesses in the Constand case, alleged that in 1984 Cosby had drugged her coffee and she awoke with her clothes partially removed.[84] In 2005, Shawn Upshaw Brown, a woman with whom Cosby admitted to having an extramarital affair in the 1970s, claimed in the National Enquirer that Cosby drugged and raped her the last time the two were together sexually. Brown is the mother of Autumn Jackson, who claims to be Cosby's illegitimate daughter. Jackson was convicted in 1997 of extortion after she threatened to make the claims public in the Globe tabloid. In 2015, Brown went into more detail with her renewed allegations in an interview.[85]

On June 9, 2006, Philadelphia magazine published an article by Robert Huber which gave graphic detail about Constand's allegations, and the similar stories told by Green and Ferrer about how they stated that they too were drugged and sexually assaulted. With these severe allegations against Cosby, Huber wrote: "His lawyers have gotten it pushed to the back burner, down to a simmer, and maybe it will amount to nothing, yet there is also the possibility that it will bubble up to destroy him."[86] The article was titled Dr. Huxtable & Mr. Hyde,[87] in allusion to both Cosby's character Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show and to a person having two starkly distinct "Jekyll and Hyde" personalities. This article also presented Barbara Bowman, who had come forward after having read about Constand's story, saying she could not sit in silence any longer. Details of Bowman's similar drug and sexual assault allegations were published in the magazine's November 1, 2006, issue. Bowman reported two incidents that happened around early 1986, wherein she was eighteen years old and working as an aspiring model and actress after her agent had introduced her to Cosby and he had become her good friend and mentor, saying that she escaped his attacks, returned home to Denver and Cosby thereafter subverted her career.[88]

Hannibal Buress remarks (October 2014)

 
In a 2014 stand-up act, Hannibal Buress (pictured) publicly accused Cosby of rape

On October 16, 2014, as part of a comedy routine in Philadelphia, Hannibal Buress addressed Cosby's legacy of "talk[ing] down" to young black men about their mode of dress and lifestyle. Buress criticized the actor's public moralizing by saying, "Yeah, but you raped women, Bill Cosby, so that kind of brings you down a couple notches."

The audience appeared to respond to Buress's accusation as an incredulous joke, then he encouraged everyone to search "Bill Cosby rape" on Google when they got home. Buress had been using the same Cosby routine for the previous six months with little response,[89] but word of the October performance spread rapidly after being posted on Philadelphia magazine's website.[90][91][92] Media coverage intensified, with numerous publications tackling the question of how Cosby had managed to maintain, as Buress called it in his routine, a "teflon image" despite more than a decade of public sexual abuse accusations.[93][94]

Shortly afterward, USA Today reported that either Cosby or his representative posted a request for Twitter followers to "Go ahead. Meme me!" The tweet was deleted after a large number of the submitted memes made reference to the accusations against Cosby.[95]

Additional assault allegations

After Buress's remarks came to the attention of journalist Joan Tarshis, in November 2014,[96] model Janice Dickinson,[97] actress Louisa Moritz,[98] actor Lou Ferrigno's wife Carla,[98] Florida nurse Therese Serignese,[99] Playboy Playmates Valentino[100] and Sarita Butterfield,[101] actress Michelle Hurd,[102] and eleven other women[102] also made accusations of alleged assaults by Cosby committed against them between 1965 and 2004.[103] Charlotte Laws wrote a November 2014 article published by Salon accusing Cosby of assaulting a friend of hers, with whom she subsequently had lost contact.[104] The following month, in a Vanity Fair article, model Beverly Johnson alleged that she was drugged by Cosby during a 1986 audition, and that she knew other women with similar accounts.[105]

Cosby's attorney said Dickinson's account differed from prior accounts she had given of the incident and released a statement that said in part: "Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment."[106] A follow-up statement dismissed the allegations as "unsubstantiated" and an example of "media vilification".[107] A joint statement from Cosby and Constand, who had received a civil settlement in 2006, clarified the statement released a few days prior by stating that it did not refer to Constand's case, which was resolved years ago.[108]

In January 2015, Cindra Ladd alleged that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1969.[109] In May 2015, Lili Bernard claimed that Cosby sexually assaulted her in the early 1990s, and that she had been interviewed by police in Atlantic City, New Jersey, regarding the allegation. Because the state of New Jersey has no statute of limitations for rape, Bernard hoped charges would be brought, but media reports noted "it wasn't clear ...if what [Bernard] says happened to her happened in New Jersey."[110]

On July 27, 2015, New York magazine's cover featured images of 35 women sitting in chairs with the last chair empty, suggesting there may be more victims who have not come forward yet. The 35 women told "their stories about being assaulted by Bill Cosby, and the culture that wouldn't listen". Eleven other women known to New York who alleged sexual assault by Cosby declined to be photographed and interviewed for the feature.[111] According to Vox, the stories span "more than five decades" and are "remarkably similar, typically involving the comedian offering a woman a cup of coffee or some sort of alcoholic beverage—which may be spiked with drugs—and allegedly sexually assaulting the victim as she's impaired or unconscious."[112]

On September 17, 2015, A&E broadcast the documentary Cosby: The Women Speak, a program in which thirteen alleged victims were interviewed.[113][114] By October 24, nearly sixty women had claimed they were sexually abused by Cosby,[115] and the terms "sociopath"[102] and "serial rapist"[102][116][96][117][118][119] were used to describe him. Jewell Allison, one of Cosby's accusers, described him as a "sociopath"[102] and stated: "We may be looking at America's greatest serial rapist that ever got away with this for the longest amount of time. He got away with it because he was hiding behind the image of Cliff Huxtable."[116]

Aftermath

 
Demonstrators protesting against Cosby in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Cosby has repeatedly denied the allegations and maintained his innocence. In November 2014, he responded to a question about the allegations and said: "I don't talk about it."[120] In past interviews that were made public, Cosby declined to discuss the accusations.[121] However, he told Florida Today, "People shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to innuendos."[121] In May 2015, he said, "I have been in this business 52 years and I've never seen anything like this. Reality is a situation and I can't speak."[122]

In the wake of the allegations, numerous organizations have severed ties with Cosby, and honors and titles that were previously awarded to him have been revoked. Reruns of The Cosby Show and other shows featuring Cosby have also been pulled from syndication by many organizations. Twenty-five colleges and universities have rescinded honorary degrees.[123]

Trial, conviction, conviction overturn

Most of the allegations fall outside of the statutes of limitations for criminal prosecution, except for Andrea Constand's allegations.[124][125] Numerous civil lawsuits have been brought against him. As of November 2015, eight related civil suits were active against Cosby.[124][126] High-profile attorney Gloria Allred was representing 33 of the alleged victims. In July 2015, some of the court records from Andrea Constand's 2005 civil suit against Cosby were unsealed and released to the public. The full transcript of his deposition was also released to the media by a court reporting service. In his testimony, Cosby admitted to casual sex, involving the recreational use of the sedative methaqualone (Quaalude), with a series of young women, and acknowledged that his dispensing the prescription drug was illegal.[127][128][129]

Based on incidents in January 2004, Cosby was found guilty on April 26, 2018, of three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand, after a jury trial. An initial trial on the charges had ended in mistrial, when the jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.[130][131][132] On September 25, 2018, he was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison and a $25,000 fine plus court costs of both trials.[133][134][135] After a brief period in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Cosby was moved to a state prison, SCI Phoenix in Skippack Township, Pennsylvania, on September 25, 2018, where he was confined to a single cell.[136][137] On January 28, 2019, Cosby was moved from administrative segregation into the general population.[138] On December 10, 2019, the verdict was upheld by the Pennsylvania Superior Court on the initial level of appeal.[139]

On June 23, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to hear a further level of appeal of Cosby's sexual assault conviction based on questions about testimony from a witness being "more prejudicial than probative". The court would hear his appeal on arguments of whether it was proper for the judge to allow five prosecution witnesses to testify in the case about prior, unrelated instances of sexual assault, and to permit the jury to learn of a deposition in which Cosby admitted to giving Quaaludes to other women in the past to facilitate sexual encounters. The court also agreed to review whether Cosby's rights were violated by being prosecuted in the Constand matter, after a former prosecutor had informed Cosby that he would not be prosecuted for the assault, resulting in Cosby's agreeing to testify without claiming his self-incrimination privilege in his accuser's civil lawsuit.[140]

On June 30, 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby's conviction, citing violations of his due process rights.[132] According to Justice David Wecht, "Even though society has a strong interest in prosecuting crimes, it has an even stronger interest in ensuring that the constitutional rights of the people are vindicated."[141] The following situation was cited: previously in February 2005, District Attorney Bruce Castor declared in a press release that due to insufficient evidence rendering a conviction "unattainable", he "declines to authorize the filing of criminal charges" against Cosby regarding allegations Andrea Constand made against him.[132] Castor said he did so to compel Cosby to testify in a civil lawsuit, brought by Constand, without the right to not incriminate himself as accorded by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,[142] so that Constand could win damages from Cosby.[143] Cosby testified that he had given Constand Benadryl, and that he had separately provided Quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with.[144] Cosby settled the civil lawsuit by paying $3.38 million.[2] As six of the seven Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices interpreted Castor's 2005 press release as a promise not to prosecute Cosby,[132] leading to Cosby providing testimony in his civil lawsuit that was later used as key evidence in his criminal trial,[2] resulting in him being convicted of assaulting Constand, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court concluded that Cosby's due process rights were violated.[132] The court further barred prosecution of Cosby "on these particular charges".[2]

Cosby was released from prison on the same day his conviction was overturned.[2] He served nearly three years before Pennsylvania's supreme court overturned his conviction.[145][146] In November 2021, the District Attorney filed papers with the Supreme Court of the United States seeking to have the Court consider whether to overturn the decision of the state supreme court. Cosby's attorney filed a response in late January 2022, urging the Supreme Court to decline review. On March 7, 2022, the Court declined to review the decision of the Pennsylvania court.[147] Cosby's legal issues continued following his release from prison. In 2014, Judy Huth had filed a civil suit against Cosby in California, alleging that he had sexually assaulted her in 1975, when she was 16 years old. The trial began in 2022, and the jury ruled in Huth's favor. Cosby was ordered to pay $500,000 in compensatory damages.[5]

Legacy

Influence on other comedians

Before the 2014 allegations, younger, well-established comics like Jerry Seinfeld had credited Cosby as an innovator both as a practitioner of stand-up comedy, as well as a person who paved the way for comics to break into sitcom television. Seinfeld said of Cosby: "He opened a door for all of us, for all of the networks to even consider that this was a way to create a character, was to take someone who can hold an audience just by being up there and telling their story. He created that. He created the whole idea of taking a quote-unquote 'comic' and developing a TV show just from a persona that you see on stage."[148]

Comedian Larry Wilmore also saw a connection between Bill Cosby: Himself and the later success of The Cosby Show, saying: "It's clear that the concert is the template for The Cosby Show."[148]

Impact of sexual assault allegations on Cosby's legacy

Joan Tarshis, who had accused Cosby of raping her, within a Salon.com article, compared Cosby's damaged legacy to that of O. J. Simpson, saying "When you hear O. J. Simpson's name, you don't think 'Oh, great football player'. That doesn't come to mind first. I'm thinking it's not going to be 'Oh, great comedian'. It's going to be 'Oh, serial rapist'."[149]

In 2015, Ebony magazine released an issue with Cosby's allegations as the cover story, discussing the importance of The Cosby Show and if it is possible to separate Bill Cosby from Cliff Huxtable. The cover depicted a photograph of The Huxtables with a cracked frame, symbolizing the show's damaged and complicated legacy.[150]

Rolling Stone placed Cosby's concert film Bill Cosby: Himself as number 8 on its list of "The 25 Best Stand-Up Specials of All Time",[151] acknowledging the significance of the film while still saying "Yes, it's damned near impossible to watch anything the tainted comedian has done and not think of the headlines, the heckling, the revelations and what is, by any definition, monstrous behavior." They also placed Cosby at number 8 on their list of "The Best Stand-up Comics Of All Time",[152] saying "Bill Cosby is not likely to perform again; listening to his records will never have that gentle, sweet sense of nostalgia for anyone; and while it is impossible to disconnect the performer from the man, scrubbing his name from the annals of stand-up would be impossible."

In late 2018, the Christmas song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" was pulled from several radio stations amid controversy that its lyrics allegedly promote sexual predation. Susan Loesser, daughter of composer Frank Loesser, who wrote the song, blamed Cosby for backlash against its lyric "say, what's in this drink?" Loesser said "Bill Cosby is ruining it for everybody ...Ever since Cosby was accused of drugging women, I hear the date rape thing all the time ...I think it would be good if people looked at the song in the context of the time. It was written in 1944. It was a different time."[153]

In 2022, W. Kamau Bell and Showtime released the documentary We Need to Talk About Cosby, which dissects Cosby's significant contributions to American and African-American culture and interviews his many alleged rape victims, exploring his complicated and difficult legacy.[154]

Personal life

Cosby married Camille Hanks on January 25, 1964. Together, they had five children, Erika (b. 1965), Erinn (b. 1966), Ennis (1969–1997), Ensa (1973–2018), and Evin (b. 1976). Their only son, Ennis, was murdered on January 16, 1997, while changing a flat tire on the side of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles.[155] Cosby's daughter Ensa died of renal disease on February 23, 2018, while awaiting a kidney transplant.[156] The Cosbys have three grandchildren.[7][157] Cosby, a Protestant,[158] maintains homes in Shelburne, Massachusetts, and Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.[159]

Cosby hosted the Los Angeles Playboy Jazz Festival from 1979 to 2012. Known as a jazz drummer, he can also be seen playing bass guitar with Jerry Lewis and Sammy Davis Jr. on Hugh Hefner's 1970s talk show. His story, "The Regular Way", was featured in Playboy's December 1968 issue.[160] Cosby has become an active member of The Jazz Foundation of America.[161] Cosby became involved with the foundation in 2004. For several years, he has been a featured host for its annual benefit, A Great Night in Harlem, at the Apollo Theater in New York City.[162][163]

Cosby and his wife have collected more than three hundred works of African-American art since 1967. The works went on display in "Conversations", an exhibit at the National Museum of African Art in 2014.[164] The show was controversial because of the sexual assault allegations made against Cosby.[165]

Cosby is a supporter of his alma mater, Temple University, particularly its men's basketball team, the Temple Owls, whose games Cosby frequently attended prior to his arrest. He is also a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity; he was initiated in the fraternity's Beta Alpha Alpha graduate chapter in White Plains, New York, in 1988,[166] and served briefly on the Board of Directors for the CDC Foundation.[167]

In 2016, Cosby's attorneys reported that he is now legally blind.[168] In April 2017, Cosby agreed to be interviewed by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, because, as Andrew Wyatt, his spokesman, stated, "they grew comfortable that the NNPA Newswire would be more interested in 'facts over sensationalism'." In the interview, both Cosby and one of his former publicists confirmed the loss of eyesight, noting that it occurred at some point in 2015.[169][170]

Following his release from prison in 2021, Cosby was reported to be attempting to make a post-prison comeback. Plans for the comeback included a comedy tour that would go from the United States to Canada to London, with Cosby’s team having contacted a number of promoters and comedy clubs about performance opportunities. It was also reported that Cosby was working on a five-part docuseries that covers his legacy and his experience in prison, and that he was planning on releasing a book.[171] That September, it was reported that Cosby had canceled his comeback plans for the time being.[172]

Awards and honors

 
Cosby's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 1977[173]
Main articles: List of awards and nominations received by Bill Cosby and List of honorary degrees awarded to Bill Cosby

Cosby has received various awards and numerous honorary degrees for his work as a standup comedian and actor in both television and film including five Primetime Emmy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002, and the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2003. He also received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977.

Due to the sexual assault allegations against Cosby, numerous awards and honors have been rescinded, including the Kennedy Center Honor that he received in 1998 and was rescinded in 2018,[174][175] as well as the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which he received in 2009 and was rescinded in 2018.[176][177][175] On May 3, 2018, Cosby was expelled as a member of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, along with Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein, due to their breach of the Academy's standards of conduct.[178]

Works

Filmography

Main article: Bill Cosby filmography
 
Publicity photo of Cosby from the 1965 television series I Spy

Cosby got his start on television in the drama series I Spy (1965-1968) with Robert Culp. He then starred in The Bill Cosby Show, (1970-1972), The New Bill Cosby Show (1972), The Electric Company (1971-1973), and Cosby (1996-2000). He created, and voiced characters in the animated television projects Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert (1969), and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1985). Cosby produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993. He starred in The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995 and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things from 1998 to 2000. he also hosted the TV special Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting from 1989.

He made his film debut in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) before starring opposite Robert Culp in Hickey & Boggs (1972). He then starred in Sidney Poitier's comedies Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and Let's Do it Again (1975). He then starred in the Peter Yates directed comedy Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976) alongside Raquel Welsh and Harvey Keitel and the Neil Simon ensemble comedy California Suite (1978) opposite Richard Pryor. He then wrote, produced and starred in the critically panned and box office bomb Leonard Part 6 (1987). He reunited with Poitier in Ghost Dad (1990), and appeared in minor roles in The Meteor Man (1993), Jack (1996), and Fat Albert (2004).

Stand-up albums

Discography

Music albums

Compilations

Sources: Discogs and AllMusic[181][182]

Singles

Year Title Peak positions[183] Album
US US R&B US AC
1967 "Little Ole Man (Uptight, Everything's Alright)" 4 18 — Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings
"Hooray for the Salvation Army Band" 71 — — Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band!
1968 "Funky North Philly" 91 — —
1970 "Grover Henson Feels Forgotten" 70 — 17 —
1976 "Yes, Yes, Yes" 46 11 — Bill Cosby Is Not Himself These Days
"I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself" — 59 —

Bibliography

  • Cosby, Bill (1986). Fatherhood. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-23410-8. OCLC 15686687.
  • Cosby, Bill (1987). Time Flies. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-24040-6. OCLC 16081611.
  • Cosby, Bill (1989). Love and Marriage. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-24664-4. OCLC 18984758.
  • Cosby, Bill (1991). Childhood. New York: Putnam. ISBN 978-0-399-13647-4. OCLC 23650310.
  • Cosby, Bill (1998). Kids Say the Darndest Things. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 978-0-553-11043-2. OCLC 39498709.
  • Cosby, Bill (1999). Congratulations! Now What?: A Book for Graduates. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-0-7868-6572-7. OCLC 40979923.
  • Allen, Dwight William; Cosby, Bill (2000). American Schools: The $100 Billion Challenge. New York: IPublish.com. ISBN 978-0-7595-5000-1. OCLC 48915448.
  • Cosby, Bill; Booth, George (2001). Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-0-7868-6810-0. OCLC 46359836.
  • Cosby, Bill (2003). I Am What I Ate ... and I'm Frightened!!!: And Other Digressions from the Doctor of Comedy. New York: HarperEntertainment. ISBN 978-0-06-054573-4. OCLC 52387894.
  • Cosby, Bill; Cosby, Erika (2003). Friends of a Feather: One of Life's Little Fables. New York: Harper Entertainment. ISBN 978-0-06-009147-7. OCLC 52206847.
  • Cosby, Bill; Poussaint, Alvin F. (2007). Come on, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-1-59555-092-7. OCLC 153581209.
  • Cosby, Bill (2011). I Didn't Ask to Be Born (But I'm Glad I Was). New York: Center Street. ISBN 978-0-89296-920-3. OCLC 707964887.

See also

References

Citations

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General sources

  • DeBose, Brian (September 9, 2004). "Cosby urges leaders to aid black families". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
  • Leiby, Richard. "Publications with a Cannes-Do Attitude". The Washington Post. May 19, 2004: 3.
  • Morano, Marc. "Bill Cosby was hounded by President Nixon". World Entertainment News Network. May 1, 2000. March 2, 2006.
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  • Wu, Frank H. "Brown at 50: Keeping Promises". Black Issues in Higher Education. May 20, 2004: 49
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Further reading

  • "Excerpts from Bill Cosby's Deposition in 2005 and 2006" (in the Andrea Constand case) – The New York Times

External links

April 07, 2023
bill, cosby, confused, with, bill, cobbs, william, henry, cosby, born, july, 1937, american, comedian, actor, media, personality, made, significant, contributions, american, african, american, culture, gained, reputation, america, portrayal, cliff, huxtable, c. Not to be confused with Bill Cobbs William Henry Cosby Jr ˈ k ɒ z b i KOZ bee born July 12 1937 is an American comedian actor and media personality He has made significant contributions to American and African American culture and gained a reputation as America s Dad for his portrayal of Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show 1984 1992 He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his career many of which were revoked following sexual assault allegations made against him in 2014 Bill CosbyCosby in 2011BornWilliam Henry Cosby Jr 1937 07 12 July 12 1937 age 85 Philadelphia Pennsylvania U S EducationTemple University BS University of Massachusetts Amherst MA EdD OccupationsComedianactormedia personalityYears active1961 2018SpouseCamille Hanks m 1964 wbr Children5 including Erika and EnnisAwardsList of awardsHonorsList of honorary degreesComedy careerMediumStand up comedy film televisionGenresObservational comedy satire surreal humor deadpanWebsitebillcosby wbr comCosby began his career as a stand up comic at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco during the 1960s Throughout the decade he released several standup comedy records which consecutively earned him the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album from 1965 to 1970 He also had a starring role in the television crime show I Spy 1965 1968 opposite Robert Culp Cosby made history when he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1966 making him the first African American to earn an Emmy Award for acting 1 His acting career continued as he starred in the sitcom The Bill Cosby Show which ran for two seasons from 1969 to 1971 In 1972 using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand up routines Cosby created produced and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids which ran until 1985 centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area Throughout the 1970s Cosby starred in various films including Sidney Poitier s Uptown Saturday Night 1974 and Let s Do It Again 1975 and Neil Simon s California Suite 1978 alongside Richard Pryor He also starred in the original cast of The Electric Company alongside Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman from 1971 to 1973 He was also a popular spokesperson in advertising for decades for various products including the Jell O ice pop treats Pudding Pop Beginning in the 1980s Cosby produced and starred in the television sitcom The Cosby Show which was rated as the number one show in America from 1985 through 1989 The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African American family Cosby produced the spin off sitcom A Different World which aired from 1987 to 1993 He also starred in The Cosby Mysteries 1994 1995 the sitcom Cosby 1996 2000 and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things 1998 2000 He then created and produced the animated children s program Little Bill 1999 2004 He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W Bush in 2002 Cosby has been the subject of numerous sexual assault allegations which became highly publicized in 2014 after Hannibal Buress brought them back into the public spotlight during a stand up routine prompting more women to come forward with accusations Following the allegations media organizations pulled reruns of The Cosby Show and other television programs featuring Cosby from syndication In 2018 he was convicted of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for violations of Cosby s 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights 2 3 4 Cosby s legal issues have continued following his release from prison 5 Contents 1 Early life and further education 2 Career 2 1 Stand up comedy 2 2 Television and film 2 3 Other projects 2 3 1 Advertising 2 3 2 Politics 3 Sexual abuse allegations 3 1 1965 1996 allegations 3 2 Later allegations and investigations 2000 2006 3 3 Hannibal Buress remarks October 2014 3 4 Additional assault allegations 3 5 Aftermath 3 5 1 Trial conviction conviction overturn 4 Legacy 4 1 Influence on other comedians 4 2 Impact of sexual assault allegations on Cosby s legacy 5 Personal life 6 Awards and honors 7 Works 7 1 Filmography 7 2 Stand up albums 7 3 Discography 7 4 Bibliography 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Citations 9 2 General sources 10 Further reading 11 External linksEarly life and further educationCosby was born on July 12 1937 6 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania 7 He is one of four sons of Anna Pearl nee Hite a maid and William Henry Cosby Sr who served as a mess steward in the U S Navy 7 8 Cosby as a basketball player during his Navy service in 1957 Cosby was the class president as well as captain of both the baseball and track and field teams at Mary Channing Wister Public School in Philadelphia 9 10 Teachers noted his propensity for joking around instead of studying and he described himself as the class clown 11 At FitzSimons Junior High School Cosby acted in plays and continued to compete in sports citation needed Cosby attended Philadelphia s Central High School a magnet school and academically rigorous college prep school where he ran track and played baseball football and basketball citation needed He transferred to Germantown High School but failed the tenth grade 12 In 1956 13 Cosby enlisted in the Navy and served as a hospital corpsman at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia at Naval Station Argentia in Newfoundland Canada and at the National Naval Medical Center in Maryland 14 He worked in physical therapy with Navy and Marine Corps personnel who were injured during the Korean War 14 He served until 1960 and became a petty officer 3rd class Cosby earned his high school equivalency diploma through correspondence courses 15 and was awarded a track and field scholarship to Temple University in 1961 16 At Temple he studied physical education while he ran track and played fullback on the college s football team 17 Cosby began bartending at a Philadelphia club where he earned bigger tips by making the customers laugh He then began performing on stage and left his university studies to pursue a career in comedy 18 Cosby resumed his formal education in 1971 Temple University granted him his bachelor s degree on the basis of what it referred to as life experience 19 He then began graduate work at UMass Amherst receiving his Master of Arts MA degree in 1972 He returned to UMass Amherst and in 1976 while producing Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids he earned his Doctor of Education Ed D degree His dissertation was titled An Integration of the Visual Media Via Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids into the Elementary School Curriculum as a Teaching Aid and Vehicle to Achieve Increased Learning 20 21 CareerStand up comedy External audio From Philly Projects to America s Dad 17 30 Newsworks WHYY 22 Bill Cosby the man and the trial 49 44 Radio Times WHYY 23 Cosby lined up stand up jobs at clubs in Philadelphia and then in New York City where he appeared at The Gaslight Cafe beginning in 1961 20 He booked dates in cities such as Chicago Las Vegas San Francisco and Washington D C In the summer of 1963 he received national exposure on NBC s The Tonight Show This led to a recording contract with Warner Bros Records which in 1964 released his debut LP Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow Right the first of a series of comedy albums 24 His album To Russell My Brother Whom I Slept With was number one on Spin magazine s list of The 40 Greatest Comedy Albums of All Time calling it stand up comedy s masterpiece 25 While many comics of the time were using the growing freedom of that decade to explore controversial and sometimes risque material Cosby was making his reputation with humorous recollections of his childhood Many Americans wondered about the absence of race as a topic in Cosby s stories As Cosby s success grew he had to defend his choice of material regularly as he argued A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks Yeah that s the way I see it too Okay He s white I m Negro And we both see things the same way That must mean that we are alike Right So I figure this way I m doing as much for good race relations as the next guy 26 In 1983 Cosby released the concert film Bill Cosby Himself which is widely regarded as the greatest comedy concert film ever 27 Cosby performed his first TV stand up special in 30 years Bill Cosby Far from Finished on Comedy Central on November 23 2013 28 His last show of the Far from Finished tour was performed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta Georgia on May 2 2015 29 In 2014 Cosby was set to release his new standup special Bill Cosby 77 on Netflix 30 The release of the film was canceled due to allegations of sexual assault against Cosby 31 His last known standup performance prior to his conviction was held at the LaRose Jazz Club in Philadelphia on January 23 2018 32 Television and film Cosby in 1966 In 1965 Cosby was cast alongside Robert Culp in the I Spy espionage adventure series on NBC I Spy became the first weekly dramatic television series to feature an African American in a starring role 33 At first Cosby and NBC executives were concerned that some affiliates might be unwilling to carry the series At the beginning of the 1965 season four stations declined the show they were in Georgia Florida and Alabama 34 Viewers were taken with the show s exotic locales and the authentic chemistry between the stars It became one of the ratings hits of the season I Spy finished among the twenty most watched shows that year and Cosby was honored with three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series 35 When accepting his third Emmy for the show Cosby told the audience Let the message be known to bigots and racists that they don t count 35 During the series run Cosby continued to do stand up comedy performances and recorded half a dozen record albums for Warner Bros Records He also began to dabble in singing recording Silver Throat Bill Cosby Sings in 1967 36 In June 1968 Billboard magazine reported that Cosby had turned down a five year 3 5 million contract renewal offer and would leave the label in August that year to record for his own record label 37 Cosby in 1969 In July 1968 Cosby narrated Black History Lost Stolen or Strayed a CBS documentary addressing the representation of black people in popular culture 38 Andy Rooney wrote the Emmy awarded script 39 for Cosby to read 40 Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson said it was one of the rare exceptions when Cosby took off the gloves and blinders to discuss race in public with candor and discernment 41 Due to its popularity and controversial nature it was rebroadcast less than a month later 42 Tetragrammaton Records a division of the Campbell Silver Cosby CSC Corporation the Los Angeles based production company founded by Cosby his manager Roy Silver and filmmaker Bruce Post Campbell produced films as well as records including Cosby s television specials the Fat Albert cartoon special and series and several motion pictures CSC hired Artie Mogull as President of the label Tetragrammaton was fairly active during 1968 69 but ceased trading during the 1970s 43 Throughout the 1960s Cosby pursued a variety of additional television projects and appeared as a regular guest host on The Tonight Show and as the star of an annual special for NBC In 1969 he returned with another series The Bill Cosby Show a situation comedy that ran for two seasons Cosby played a physical education teacher at a Los Angeles high school While only a modest critical success the show was a ratings hit finishing eleventh in its first season Cosby was lauded for using African American performers such as Lillian Randolph Moms Mabley and Rex Ingram as characters According to commentary on the Season 1 DVDs for the show Cosby was at odds with NBC over his refusal to include a laugh track in the show as he felt viewers had the ability to find humor for themselves when watching a TV show citation needed For the PBS series The Electric Company Cosby recorded several segments teaching reading skills to young children 44 Cosby resumed his formal education in 1971 he began graduate work at UMass Amherst In 1972 he was back in prime time with a variety series The New Bill Cosby Show However this show lasted only a season More successful was a Saturday morning cartoon Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids hosted by Cosby and based on his own childhood That series ran from 1972 to 1979 then ran as The New Fat Albert Show in 1979 and finally ran as The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Cosby would use his experience producing Fat Albert in his educational endeavors his dissertation for his Ed D at UMass Amherst discussed the use of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids as a teaching tool in elementary schools During the 1970s Cosby and other African American actors including Sidney Poitier joined forces to make successful comedy films to counter the violent blaxploitation films of the era such as Uptown Saturday Night in 1974 Let s Do It Again in 1975 and in 1976 Mother Jugs amp Speed co starring Raquel Welch and Harvey Keitel In 1976 Cosby starred in A Piece of the Action with Poitier and California Suite a compilation of four Neil Simon plays He also hosted Cos in 1976 In addition he produced an hour long variety show featuring puppets sketches and musical numbers It was during this season that ABC decided to take advantage of this phase of Cosby s career by joining with Filmation producers of Fat Albert to create live action segments starring Cosby for the 1972 animated film Journey Back to Oz it subsequently aired in syndication Cosby was also a regular on children s public television programs starting in the 1970s hosting the Picture Pages segments that lasted into the early 1980s 45 Cosby wearing a sweater in 1990 similar to the ones he wore on The Cosby Show in the role of Cliff Huxtable Cosby s greatest television success came in September 1984 with the debut of The Cosby Show Cosby an advocate for family oriented humor co produced the series held creative control and involved himself in every aspect of production Plots were often based on ideas that Cosby suggested while in meetings with the writing staff 46 The show had parallels to Cosby s actual family life like the characters Cliff and Clair Huxtable Cosby and his wife Camille were college educated and financially successful and they had five children On the show Cosby played the role of an obstetrician Much of the material from the pilot and first season of The Cosby Show was taken from his video Bill Cosby Himself citation needed released in 1983 The series was an immediate success debuting near the top of the ratings and staying there for most of its eight season run citation needed In 1987 Cosby attempted to return to film with the spy spoof Leonard Part 6 Although Cosby himself was the producer and wrote the story he realized during production that the film was not going to be what he wanted and publicly denounced it warning audiences to stay away 47 The film was however marked the first project for Columbia to be greenlighted by studio executive David Puttman 48 Later in the 1980s Cosby served as an advisor to the Los Angeles Student Film Institute 49 50 After The Cosby Show went off the air in 1992 Cosby embarked on a number of other projects which included a revival of the classic Groucho Marx game show You Bet Your Life 1992 93 the TV movie I Spy Returns 1994 and The Cosby Mysteries 1994 In the mid 1990s he appeared as a detective in black and white film noir themed commercials for Turner Classic Movies During this time he reunited with Sidney Poitier starring in Ghost Dad 1990 and appeared in minor roles in Robert Townsend s superhero comedy The Meteor Man 1993 and Francis Ford Coppola s coming of age film Jack 1996 In addition he was interviewed in Spike Lee s HBO project 4 Little Girls 1997 a documentary about the 1963 racist bombing of a church in Birmingham Alabama which injured 22 people killing four girls Also in 1996 he started up a new show for CBS Cosby again co starring Phylicia Rashad his onscreen wife on The Cosby Show Cosby co produced the show for Carsey Werner Productions It centered on Cosby as Hilton Lucas an iconoclastic senior citizen who tries to find a new job after being downsized and in the meantime gets on his wife s nerves Madeline Kahn co starred as Rashad s goofy business partner Pauline Cosby was hired by CBS to be the official spokesman of its Detroit affiliate WWJ TV during an advertising campaign from 1995 to 1998 Cosby also hosted a CBS special Kids Say the Darndest Things on February 6 1995 which was followed after as a full season show with Cosby as host from January 9 1998 to June 23 2000 51 After four seasons Cosby was canceled Its last episode aired April 28 2000 Kids Say the Darndest Things was terminated the same year Cosby performing in 2010 A series for preschoolers Little Bill created by Cosby as a semi biographical representation of his childhood growing up in Philadelphia made its debut on Nickelodeon in 1999 The network renewed the popular program in November 2000 In 2001 Cosby s agenda included the publication of a new book as well as delivering the commencement addresses at Morris Brown College 52 Ohio State University 53 and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 54 Also that year he signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to develop a live action feature film centering on the popular Fat Albert character from his 1970s cartoon series Co written and executive produced by Cosby Fat Albert was released in theaters in December 2004 Cosby makes an appearance in the film as himself In May 2007 Cosby spoke at the commencement of High Point University 55 In the summer of 2009 Cosby hosted a comedy gala at Montreal s Just for Laughs the largest comedy festival in the world 56 During this time he also made an appearance in Mario Van Peebles film Baadasssss in 2003 Other projects Advertising Main article Bill Cosby in advertising Cosby in a 1976 Ford advertisement Cosby was a popular spokesperson for advertising from the 1960s before his first starring television role until the early 2000s He started with White Owl cigars and later endorsed Jell O pudding and gelatin Del Monte Ford Motor Company Coca Cola including New Coke American Red Cross Texas Instruments E F Hutton amp Co Kodak and the 1990 United States Census As of 2002 update Cosby held the record for being the longest serving celebrity spokesperson for a product through his work with Jell O In 2011 he won the President s Award for Contributions to Advertising from the Advertising Hall of Fame Cosby was one of the first black people to appear in the United States as an advertising spokesperson He was known for his appeal to white consumers in the second half of the 20th century in an industry seen as slow to accept diversity 57 In spite of making contradictory soft drink pitches and endorsing a disgraced financial company he continued to be considered effective and believable In the 1980s studies found Cosby the most familiar and most persuasive spokesperson to the point where Cosby attributed his wealth to these contracts as opposed to his television series Politics Cosby received an award at the celebration of the 50th anniversary commemoration of Brown v Board of Education ruling a ruling of the U S Supreme Court that outlawed racial segregation in public schools Later in May 2004 he made public remarks critical of African Americans who put higher priorities on sports fashion and acting hard than on education self respect and self improvement He pleaded for African American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of American culture 58 59 In the Pound Cake speech Cosby asked that African American parents teach their children better morals at a younger age As reported in The Washington Times Cosby told reporters during a special session of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation s 34th annual legislative conference that parenting needs to come to the forefront If you need help and you don t know how to parent we want to be able to reach out and touch you 60 Richard Leiby of The Washington Post reported Bill Cosby was anything but politically correct in his remarks Monday night at a Constitution Hall bash commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown v Board of Education decision 61 Cosby at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta Georgia in 2006 Cosby was again criticized and was largely unapologetic for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech at a July 1 meeting of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition that commemorated the anniversary of Brown v Board where he said you ve got to stop beating up your women because you can t find a job because you didn t want to get an education and now you re earning minimum wage 62 63 During that speech he admonished blacks for not assisting or concerning themselves with the individuals who are involved with crime or have counterproductive aspirations He further described those who needed attention as blacks who had forgotten the sacrifices of those in the Civil Rights Movement 64 In 2005 Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson wrote a book Is Bill Cosby Right Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind 65 In the book Dyson wrote that Cosby was overlooking larger social factors that reinforce poverty and associated crime factors such as deteriorating schools stagnating wages dramatic shifts in the economy offshoring and downsizing chronic underemployment and job and capital flight 66 Dyson suggested that Cosby s comments betray classist elitist viewpoints rooted in generational warfare 65 However Cornel West defended Cosby and his remarks saying He s speaking out of great compassion and trying to get folk to get on the right track cause we ve got some brothers and sisters who are not doing the right things just like in times in our own lives we don t do the right thing He is trying to speak honestly and freely and lovingly and I think that s a very positive thing 67 In a 2008 interview Cosby mentioned Philadelphia Atlanta Chicago Detroit Oakland California and Springfield Massachusetts among the cities where crime was high and young African American men were being murdered and jailed in disproportionate numbers Cosby stood his ground against criticism and affirmed that African American parents were continuing to fail to inculcate proper standards of moral behavior 68 Cosby s social commentary led to the unsealing of documents in a previous civil suit by a woman who had accused Cosby of sexual assault which in turn sparked renewed interest in older allegations The judge ruled that releasing the sealed documents was justified by the stark contrast between Bill Cosby the public moralist and Bill Cosby the subject of serious allegations concerning improper and perhaps criminal conduct 69 Cosby has also been critical of conservative Republican politicians in regard to their views on socioeconomic and racial issues In a 2013 CNN interview regarding voting rights Cosby stated this Republican Party is not the Republican Party of 1863 of Abraham Lincoln abolitionists and slavery is not good I think it s important for us to look at the underlying part of it What is the value of it Is it that some people are angry because my people no longer want to work for free 70 Sexual abuse allegationsMain article Bill Cosby sexual assault cases 1965 1996 allegations The earliest allegation against Cosby dates back to December 1965 in 2005 Kristina Ruehli came forward as Jane Doe 12 in the Andrea Constand case and alleged that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her at that time in his Beverly Hills home Further Ruehli said she had told her boyfriend about the incident and had told her daughter in the 1980s 71 In the early 1980s Joan Tarshis told freelance reporter John Milward about an alleged sexual assault by Cosby Milward did not write about the allegations 72 In 1996 Playboy Playmate Victoria Valentino gave a videotaped interview in which she made sexual assault allegations against Cosby The interview was conducted for an expose on the lives of Playboy models which was never published 72 After the allegations resurfaced in 2014 Wendy Williams recalled that during her radio show in 1990 she referred to sexual assault allegations against Cosby that had been published in the National Enquirer tabloid Williams said Cosby called her boss in the middle of the broadcast demanding that Williams be fired 73 74 75 Later allegations and investigations 2000 2006 On February 1 2000 according to a statement provided by Detective Jose McCallion of the New York County District Attorney s Special Victims Bureau Lachele Covington who was 20 years old at the time filed a criminal complaint against Cosby alleging that on January 28 2000 at his Manhattan townhouse he had tried to put her hands down his pants and then exposed himself Covington also alleged that Cosby grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hands down her pants Cosby was questioned and insisted it was not true The New York City Police Department NYPD referred her complaint to the D A but they declined to prosecute 76 In January 2004 Andrea Constand a former Temple University employee accused Cosby of drugging and fondling her however in February 2005 Montgomery County Pennsylvania s District Attorney said there would be no charges due to insufficient credible and admissible evidence 77 Constand then filed a civil claim in March 2005 with thirteen women as potential witnesses if the case went to court 78 79 Cosby settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in November 2006 78 After learning that charges were not pursued in the Constand case California lawyer Tamara Lucier Green the only publicly named woman in the prior case came forward with allegations in February 2005 that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s 80 81 82 Cosby s lawyer said Cosby did not know her and that the events did not happen 83 In a July 2005 Philadelphia Daily News interview Beth Ferrier one of the anonymous Jane Doe witnesses in the Constand case alleged that in 1984 Cosby had drugged her coffee and she awoke with her clothes partially removed 84 In 2005 Shawn Upshaw Brown a woman with whom Cosby admitted to having an extramarital affair in the 1970s claimed in the National Enquirer that Cosby drugged and raped her the last time the two were together sexually Brown is the mother of Autumn Jackson who claims to be Cosby s illegitimate daughter Jackson was convicted in 1997 of extortion after she threatened to make the claims public in the Globe tabloid In 2015 Brown went into more detail with her renewed allegations in an interview 85 On June 9 2006 Philadelphia magazine published an article by Robert Huber which gave graphic detail about Constand s allegations and the similar stories told by Green and Ferrer about how they stated that they too were drugged and sexually assaulted With these severe allegations against Cosby Huber wrote His lawyers have gotten it pushed to the back burner down to a simmer and maybe it will amount to nothing yet there is also the possibility that it will bubble up to destroy him 86 The article was titled Dr Huxtable amp Mr Hyde 87 in allusion to both Cosby s character Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show and to a person having two starkly distinct Jekyll and Hyde personalities This article also presented Barbara Bowman who had come forward after having read about Constand s story saying she could not sit in silence any longer Details of Bowman s similar drug and sexual assault allegations were published in the magazine s November 1 2006 issue Bowman reported two incidents that happened around early 1986 wherein she was eighteen years old and working as an aspiring model and actress after her agent had introduced her to Cosby and he had become her good friend and mentor saying that she escaped his attacks returned home to Denver and Cosby thereafter subverted her career 88 Hannibal Buress remarks October 2014 In a 2014 stand up act Hannibal Buress pictured publicly accused Cosby of rape On October 16 2014 as part of a comedy routine in Philadelphia Hannibal Buress addressed Cosby s legacy of talk ing down to young black men about their mode of dress and lifestyle Buress criticized the actor s public moralizing by saying Yeah but you raped women Bill Cosby so that kind of brings you down a couple notches The audience appeared to respond to Buress s accusation as an incredulous joke then he encouraged everyone to search Bill Cosby rape on Google when they got home Buress had been using the same Cosby routine for the previous six months with little response 89 but word of the October performance spread rapidly after being posted on Philadelphia magazine s website 90 91 92 Media coverage intensified with numerous publications tackling the question of how Cosby had managed to maintain as Buress called it in his routine a teflon image despite more than a decade of public sexual abuse accusations 93 94 Shortly afterward USA Today reported that either Cosby or his representative posted a request for Twitter followers to Go ahead Meme me The tweet was deleted after a large number of the submitted memes made reference to the accusations against Cosby 95 Additional assault allegations After Buress s remarks came to the attention of journalist Joan Tarshis in November 2014 96 model Janice Dickinson 97 actress Louisa Moritz 98 actor Lou Ferrigno s wife Carla 98 Florida nurse Therese Serignese 99 Playboy Playmates Valentino 100 and Sarita Butterfield 101 actress Michelle Hurd 102 and eleven other women 102 also made accusations of alleged assaults by Cosby committed against them between 1965 and 2004 103 Charlotte Laws wrote a November 2014 article published by Salon accusing Cosby of assaulting a friend of hers with whom she subsequently had lost contact 104 The following month in a Vanity Fair article model Beverly Johnson alleged that she was drugged by Cosby during a 1986 audition and that she knew other women with similar accounts 105 Cosby s attorney said Dickinson s account differed from prior accounts she had given of the incident and released a statement that said in part Mr Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment 106 A follow up statement dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated and an example of media vilification 107 A joint statement from Cosby and Constand who had received a civil settlement in 2006 clarified the statement released a few days prior by stating that it did not refer to Constand s case which was resolved years ago 108 In January 2015 Cindra Ladd alleged that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1969 109 In May 2015 Lili Bernard claimed that Cosby sexually assaulted her in the early 1990s and that she had been interviewed by police in Atlantic City New Jersey regarding the allegation Because the state of New Jersey has no statute of limitations for rape Bernard hoped charges would be brought but media reports noted it wasn t clear if what Bernard says happened to her happened in New Jersey 110 On July 27 2015 New York magazine s cover featured images of 35 women sitting in chairs with the last chair empty suggesting there may be more victims who have not come forward yet The 35 women told their stories about being assaulted by Bill Cosby and the culture that wouldn t listen Eleven other women known to New York who alleged sexual assault by Cosby declined to be photographed and interviewed for the feature 111 According to Vox the stories span more than five decades and are remarkably similar typically involving the comedian offering a woman a cup of coffee or some sort of alcoholic beverage which may be spiked with drugs and allegedly sexually assaulting the victim as she s impaired or unconscious 112 On September 17 2015 A amp E broadcast the documentary Cosby The Women Speak a program in which thirteen alleged victims were interviewed 113 114 By October 24 nearly sixty women had claimed they were sexually abused by Cosby 115 and the terms sociopath 102 and serial rapist 102 116 96 117 118 119 were used to describe him Jewell Allison one of Cosby s accusers described him as a sociopath 102 and stated We may be looking at America s greatest serial rapist that ever got away with this for the longest amount of time He got away with it because he was hiding behind the image of Cliff Huxtable 116 Aftermath Demonstrators protesting against Cosby in Kitchener Ontario CanadaCosby has repeatedly denied the allegations and maintained his innocence In November 2014 he responded to a question about the allegations and said I don t talk about it 120 In past interviews that were made public Cosby declined to discuss the accusations 121 However he told Florida Today People shouldn t have to go through that and shouldn t answer to innuendos 121 In May 2015 he said I have been in this business 52 years and I ve never seen anything like this Reality is a situation and I can t speak 122 In the wake of the allegations numerous organizations have severed ties with Cosby and honors and titles that were previously awarded to him have been revoked Reruns of The Cosby Show and other shows featuring Cosby have also been pulled from syndication by many organizations Twenty five colleges and universities have rescinded honorary degrees 123 Trial conviction conviction overturn Most of the allegations fall outside of the statutes of limitations for criminal prosecution except for Andrea Constand s allegations 124 125 Numerous civil lawsuits have been brought against him As of November 2015 update eight related civil suits were active against Cosby 124 126 High profile attorney Gloria Allred was representing 33 of the alleged victims In July 2015 some of the court records from Andrea Constand s 2005 civil suit against Cosby were unsealed and released to the public The full transcript of his deposition was also released to the media by a court reporting service In his testimony Cosby admitted to casual sex involving the recreational use of the sedative methaqualone Quaalude with a series of young women and acknowledged that his dispensing the prescription drug was illegal 127 128 129 Based on incidents in January 2004 Cosby was found guilty on April 26 2018 of three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand after a jury trial An initial trial on the charges had ended in mistrial when the jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict 130 131 132 On September 25 2018 he was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison and a 25 000 fine plus court costs of both trials 133 134 135 After a brief period in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility Cosby was moved to a state prison SCI Phoenix in Skippack Township Pennsylvania on September 25 2018 where he was confined to a single cell 136 137 On January 28 2019 Cosby was moved from administrative segregation into the general population 138 On December 10 2019 the verdict was upheld by the Pennsylvania Superior Court on the initial level of appeal 139 On June 23 2020 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to hear a further level of appeal of Cosby s sexual assault conviction based on questions about testimony from a witness being more prejudicial than probative The court would hear his appeal on arguments of whether it was proper for the judge to allow five prosecution witnesses to testify in the case about prior unrelated instances of sexual assault and to permit the jury to learn of a deposition in which Cosby admitted to giving Quaaludes to other women in the past to facilitate sexual encounters The court also agreed to review whether Cosby s rights were violated by being prosecuted in the Constand matter after a former prosecutor had informed Cosby that he would not be prosecuted for the assault resulting in Cosby s agreeing to testify without claiming his self incrimination privilege in his accuser s civil lawsuit 140 On June 30 2021 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby s conviction citing violations of his due process rights 132 According to Justice David Wecht Even though society has a strong interest in prosecuting crimes it has an even stronger interest in ensuring that the constitutional rights of the people are vindicated 141 The following situation was cited previously in February 2005 District Attorney Bruce Castor declared in a press release that due to insufficient evidence rendering a conviction unattainable he declines to authorize the filing of criminal charges against Cosby regarding allegations Andrea Constand made against him 132 Castor said he did so to compel Cosby to testify in a civil lawsuit brought by Constand without the right to not incriminate himself as accorded by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution 142 so that Constand could win damages from Cosby 143 Cosby testified that he had given Constand Benadryl and that he had separately provided Quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with 144 Cosby settled the civil lawsuit by paying 3 38 million 2 As six of the seven Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices interpreted Castor s 2005 press release as a promise not to prosecute Cosby 132 leading to Cosby providing testimony in his civil lawsuit that was later used as key evidence in his criminal trial 2 resulting in him being convicted of assaulting Constand the Pennsylvania Supreme Court concluded that Cosby s due process rights were violated 132 The court further barred prosecution of Cosby on these particular charges 2 Cosby was released from prison on the same day his conviction was overturned 2 He served nearly three years before Pennsylvania s supreme court overturned his conviction 145 146 In November 2021 the District Attorney filed papers with the Supreme Court of the United States seeking to have the Court consider whether to overturn the decision of the state supreme court Cosby s attorney filed a response in late January 2022 urging the Supreme Court to decline review On March 7 2022 the Court declined to review the decision of the Pennsylvania court 147 Cosby s legal issues continued following his release from prison In 2014 Judy Huth had filed a civil suit against Cosby in California alleging that he had sexually assaulted her in 1975 when she was 16 years old The trial began in 2022 and the jury ruled in Huth s favor Cosby was ordered to pay 500 000 in compensatory damages 5 LegacyInfluence on other comedians Before the 2014 allegations younger well established comics like Jerry Seinfeld had credited Cosby as an innovator both as a practitioner of stand up comedy as well as a person who paved the way for comics to break into sitcom television Seinfeld said of Cosby He opened a door for all of us for all of the networks to even consider that this was a way to create a character was to take someone who can hold an audience just by being up there and telling their story He created that He created the whole idea of taking a quote unquote comic and developing a TV show just from a persona that you see on stage 148 Comedian Larry Wilmore also saw a connection between Bill Cosby Himself and the later success of The Cosby Show saying It s clear that the concert is the template for The Cosby Show 148 Impact of sexual assault allegations on Cosby s legacy Joan Tarshis who had accused Cosby of raping her within a Salon com article compared Cosby s damaged legacy to that of O J Simpson saying When you hear O J Simpson s name you don t think Oh great football player That doesn t come to mind first I m thinking it s not going to be Oh great comedian It s going to be Oh serial rapist 149 In 2015 Ebony magazine released an issue with Cosby s allegations as the cover story discussing the importance of The Cosby Show and if it is possible to separate Bill Cosby from Cliff Huxtable The cover depicted a photograph of The Huxtables with a cracked frame symbolizing the show s damaged and complicated legacy 150 Rolling Stone placed Cosby s concert film Bill Cosby Himself as number 8 on its list of The 25 Best Stand Up Specials of All Time 151 acknowledging the significance of the film while still saying Yes it s damned near impossible to watch anything the tainted comedian has done and not think of the headlines the heckling the revelations and what is by any definition monstrous behavior They also placed Cosby at number 8 on their list of The Best Stand up Comics Of All Time 152 saying Bill Cosby is not likely to perform again listening to his records will never have that gentle sweet sense of nostalgia for anyone and while it is impossible to disconnect the performer from the man scrubbing his name from the annals of stand up would be impossible In late 2018 the Christmas song Baby It s Cold Outside was pulled from several radio stations amid controversy that its lyrics allegedly promote sexual predation Susan Loesser daughter of composer Frank Loesser who wrote the song blamed Cosby for backlash against its lyric say what s in this drink Loesser said Bill Cosby is ruining it for everybody Ever since Cosby was accused of drugging women I hear the date rape thing all the time I think it would be good if people looked at the song in the context of the time It was written in 1944 It was a different time 153 In 2022 W Kamau Bell and Showtime released the documentary We Need to Talk About Cosby which dissects Cosby s significant contributions to American and African American culture and interviews his many alleged rape victims exploring his complicated and difficult legacy 154 Personal lifeCosby married Camille Hanks on January 25 1964 Together they had five children Erika b 1965 Erinn b 1966 Ennis 1969 1997 Ensa 1973 2018 and Evin b 1976 Their only son Ennis was murdered on January 16 1997 while changing a flat tire on the side of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles 155 Cosby s daughter Ensa died of renal disease on February 23 2018 while awaiting a kidney transplant 156 The Cosbys have three grandchildren 7 157 Cosby a Protestant 158 maintains homes in Shelburne Massachusetts and Cheltenham Pennsylvania 159 Cosby hosted the Los Angeles Playboy Jazz Festival from 1979 to 2012 Known as a jazz drummer he can also be seen playing bass guitar with Jerry Lewis and Sammy Davis Jr on Hugh Hefner s 1970s talk show His story The Regular Way was featured in Playboy s December 1968 issue 160 Cosby has become an active member of The Jazz Foundation of America 161 Cosby became involved with the foundation in 2004 For several years he has been a featured host for its annual benefit A Great Night in Harlem at the Apollo Theater in New York City 162 163 Cosby and his wife have collected more than three hundred works of African American art since 1967 The works went on display in Conversations an exhibit at the National Museum of African Art in 2014 164 The show was controversial because of the sexual assault allegations made against Cosby 165 Cosby is a supporter of his alma mater Temple University particularly its men s basketball team the Temple Owls whose games Cosby frequently attended prior to his arrest He is also a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity he was initiated in the fraternity s Beta Alpha Alpha graduate chapter in White Plains New York in 1988 166 and served briefly on the Board of Directors for the CDC Foundation 167 In 2016 Cosby s attorneys reported that he is now legally blind 168 In April 2017 Cosby agreed to be interviewed by the National Newspaper Publishers Association because as Andrew Wyatt his spokesman stated they grew comfortable that the NNPA Newswire would be more interested in facts over sensationalism In the interview both Cosby and one of his former publicists confirmed the loss of eyesight noting that it occurred at some point in 2015 169 170 Following his release from prison in 2021 Cosby was reported to be attempting to make a post prison comeback Plans for the comeback included a comedy tour that would go from the United States to Canada to London with Cosby s team having contacted a number of promoters and comedy clubs about performance opportunities It was also reported that Cosby was working on a five part docuseries that covers his legacy and his experience in prison and that he was planning on releasing a book 171 That September it was reported that Cosby had canceled his comeback plans for the time being 172 Awards and honors Cosby s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded in 1977 173 Main articles List of awards and nominations received by Bill Cosby and List of honorary degrees awarded to Bill Cosby Cosby has received various awards and numerous honorary degrees for his work as a standup comedian and actor in both television and film including five Primetime Emmy Awards eight Grammy Awards two Daytime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 and the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2003 He also received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977 Due to the sexual assault allegations against Cosby numerous awards and honors have been rescinded including the Kennedy Center Honor that he received in 1998 and was rescinded in 2018 174 175 as well as the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor which he received in 2009 and was rescinded in 2018 176 177 175 On May 3 2018 Cosby was expelled as a member of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein due to their breach of the Academy s standards of conduct 178 WorksFilmography Main article Bill Cosby filmography Publicity photo of Cosby from the 1965 television series I Spy Cosby got his start on television in the drama series I Spy 1965 1968 with Robert Culp He then starred in The Bill Cosby Show 1970 1972 The New Bill Cosby Show 1972 The Electric Company 1971 1973 and Cosby 1996 2000 He created and voiced characters in the animated television projects Hey Hey Hey It s Fat Albert 1969 and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids 1972 1985 Cosby produced the spin off sitcom A Different World which aired from 1987 to 1993 He starred in The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995 and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things from 1998 to 2000 he also hosted the TV special Sesame Street 20 Years amp Still Counting from 1989 He made his film debut in Bob amp Carol amp Ted amp Alice 1969 before starring opposite Robert Culp in Hickey amp Boggs 1972 He then starred in Sidney Poitier s comedies Uptown Saturday Night 1974 and Let s Do it Again 1975 He then starred in the Peter Yates directed comedy Mother Jugs amp Speed 1976 alongside Raquel Welsh and Harvey Keitel and the Neil Simon ensemble comedy California Suite 1978 opposite Richard Pryor He then wrote produced and starred in the critically panned and box office bomb Leonard Part 6 1987 He reunited with Poitier in Ghost Dad 1990 and appeared in minor roles in The Meteor Man 1993 Jack 1996 and Fat Albert 2004 Stand up albums Year Title Notes1963 Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow Right album1964 I Started Out as a Child1965 Why Is There Air 1966 Wonderfulness1967 Revenge1968 To Russell My Brother Whom I Slept With200 M P H 1969 It s True It s True 8 15 12 15Sports1970 Live Madison Square Garden Center1971 When I Was a KidFor Adults Only1972 Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby1973 Fat Albert1977 My Father Confused Me What Must I Do What Must I Do 1978 Bill s Best Friend1982 Himself album Bill Cosby Himself released in 19831985 Hardheaded Boys album1986 Those of You with or Without Children You ll Understand1987 Bill Cosby 49 special 179 1991 Oh Baby album2013 Far from Finished special and album 180 Discography Music albums Silver Throat Bill Cosby Sings 1967 Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band 1968 Badfoot Brown amp the Bunions Bradford Funeral amp Marching Band 1971 Bill Cosby Talks to Kids About Drugs 1971 Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert as master of ceremonies Columbia 1972 Bill Cosby Presents Badfoot Brown amp the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band 1972 At Last Bill Cosby Really Sings 1974 Bill Cosby Is Not Himself These Days 1976 Disco Bill 1977 Where You Lay Your Head 1990 My Appreciation 1991 Hello Friend To Ennis With Love 1997 Quincy Jones amp Bill Cosby The Original Jam Sessions 1969 2004 Quincy Jones amp Bill Cosby The New Mixes Vol 1 2004 State of Emergency 2009 Keep Standing 2010 Compilations The Best of Bill Cosby 1969 More of the Best of Bill Cosby 1970 Bill 1973 Down Under 1975 Cosby and the Kids Cosby Classics 1986 Bill Cosby At His Best 1994 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection The Best of Bill Cosby 2001 The Bill Cosby Collection 2004 Icon 2011 Sources Discogs and AllMusic 181 182 Singles Year Title Peak positions 183 AlbumUS US R amp B US AC1967 Little Ole Man Uptight Everything s Alright 4 18 Silver Throat Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band 71 Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band 1968 Funky North Philly 91 1970 Grover Henson Feels Forgotten 70 17 1976 Yes Yes Yes 46 11 Bill Cosby Is Not Himself These Days I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself 59 Bibliography Cosby Bill 1986 Fatherhood New York Doubleday ISBN 978 0 385 23410 8 OCLC 15686687 Cosby Bill 1987 Time Flies New York Doubleday ISBN 978 0 385 24040 6 OCLC 16081611 Cosby Bill 1989 Love and Marriage New York Doubleday ISBN 978 0 385 24664 4 OCLC 18984758 Cosby Bill 1991 Childhood New York Putnam ISBN 978 0 399 13647 4 OCLC 23650310 Cosby Bill 1998 Kids Say the Darndest Things New York Bantam Books ISBN 978 0 553 11043 2 OCLC 39498709 Cosby Bill 1999 Congratulations Now What A Book for Graduates New York Hyperion ISBN 978 0 7868 6572 7 OCLC 40979923 Allen Dwight William Cosby Bill 2000 American Schools The 100 Billion Challenge New York IPublish com ISBN 978 0 7595 5000 1 OCLC 48915448 Cosby Bill Booth George 2001 Cosbyology Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy New York Hyperion ISBN 978 0 7868 6810 0 OCLC 46359836 Cosby Bill 2003 I Am What I Ate and I m Frightened And Other Digressions from the Doctor of Comedy New York HarperEntertainment ISBN 978 0 06 054573 4 OCLC 52387894 Cosby Bill Cosby Erika 2003 Friends of a Feather One of Life s Little Fables New York Harper Entertainment ISBN 978 0 06 009147 7 OCLC 52206847 Cosby Bill Poussaint Alvin F 2007 Come on People On the Path from Victims to Victors Nashville TN Thomas Nelson ISBN 978 1 59555 092 7 OCLC 153581209 Cosby Bill 2011 I Didn t Ask to Be Born But I m Glad I Was New York Center Street ISBN 978 0 89296 920 3 OCLC 707964887 See also United States portal Biography portalList of comedians List of Omega Psi Phi brothers List of Temple University people List of University of Massachusetts Amherst alumniReferencesCitations Emmys history Few black nominees even fewer black winners Los Angeles Times July 16 2015 Retrieved July 1 2021 a b c d e Bowley Graham June 30 2021 Bill Cosby to Be Freed as Court Overturns His Sex Assault Conviction The New York Times Archived from the original on December 28 2021 Retrieved June 30 2021 Sherman Jolie July 1 2021 Vermont legal experts weigh in after Cosby freed from prison WTEN Retrieved July 11 2021 Dale Maryclaire June 30 2021 Bill Cosby released from prison after court finds due process violation PBS NewsHour Retrieved July 11 2021 a b Patten Dominic June 22 2022 Bill Cosby Sexually Abused Judy Huth In 1970s Civil Jury Decides Update Deadline Hollywood Retrieved June 23 2022 Monitor Entertainment Weekly No 1215 July 13 2012 p 20 a b c Bill Cosby Biography 1937 Filmreference com Retrieved September 18 2009 Pylant James June 2011 A Glimpse at Bill Cosby s Virginia Roots Genealogymagazine com Archived from the original on October 26 2009 Retrieved September 18 2009 Bill Cosby Trivia TV com Archived from the original on February 8 2008 Retrieved May 4 2008 Sof Eric December 28 2016 Bill Cosby Spec Ops Archived from the original on July 2 2018 Retrieved May 14 2018 Bill Cosby and Me The Washington Post September 11 2007 Archived from the original on July 5 2008 Retrieved May 4 2008 William Morris Agency Retrieved July 15 2015 Bill Cosby s honorary chief status revoked amid controversy Navy Times December 4 2014 Retrieved December 31 2015 a b Famous Veterans Bill Cosby Military com Archived from the original on June 10 2007 Retrieved March 22 2016 Bill Cosby The Kennedy Center Archived from the original on February 16 2007 Retrieved February 10 2014 Bill Cosby Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections Retrieved February 10 2014 Vecsy George December 4 2010 Cosby Can Laugh Now but Football Was Serious Business The New York Times Retrieved January 30 2019 Bill Cosby vervemusicgroup com Verve Records dead link Holznagel Fritz December 5 2010 From Dropout to Doctorate A Bill Cosby Educational Timeline Who2 Biographies Retrieved December 5 2010 a b Ghare Madhavi Bill Cosby Biography Buzzle com Archived from the original on August 2 2012 Retrieved May 4 2008 The first 22 pages of his dissertation are available at the UMI ProQuest Dissertation Abstracts publication number AAT 7706369 Cosby Unraveled Newsworks WHYY FM May 24 2017 Archived from the original on May 29 2017 Retrieved May 24 2017 Bill Cosby the man and the trial Radio Times with Marty Moss Coane WHYY May 24 2017 Archived from the original on July 27 2017 Retrieved May 29 2017 Bill Cosby Discogs SPIN s 40 Greatest Comedy Albums of All Time SPIN San Francisco CA November 1 2011 Smith Ronald L 1997 Cosby The Life of a Comedy Legend Amherst NY Prometheus Books p 57 ISBN 978 1 57392 126 8 Penn Nathaniel May 22 2013 Comedians Salute the Stand Up Comedy Classic Bill Cosby Himself GQ New York City Retrieved January 30 2019 Genzlinger Neil November 22 2013 The Art of Burning Rubber vs Steady Wins the Race The New York Times Kenneally Tim May 4 2015 Bill Cosby Battles Hecklers at Atlanta Performance Stop it This Is Our Show The Boston Globe Spangler Todd August 14 2014 Netflix Adds Bill Cosby Stand Up Special to Comedy Lineup Variety Los Angeles California Archived from the original on November 20 2014 Holloway Daniel July 28 2015 Netflix Chief Ted Sarandos on Bill Cosby Special I Don t Think it s Appropriate to Release That TheWrap Los Angeles California TheWrap News Inc Retrieved January 30 2019 Allyn Bobby January 23 2018 Bill Cosby Makes Surprise Stand Up Appearance Ahead Of Retrial NPR Coates Ta Nehisi May 2008 This Is How We Lost to the White Man The audacity of Bill Cosby s black conservatism The Atlantic Monthly Retrieved April 24 2015 Jackson Andrew Grant 2015 1965 The Most Revolutionary Year in Music St Martin s Press p 220 ISBN 978 1 250 05962 8 Retrieved April 24 2015 a b Sanneh Kelefa September 15 2014 The Eternal Paternal Bill Cosby s never ending tour The New Yorker Retrieved April 24 2015 Album Reviews Billboard August 19 1967 Cosby to Exit WB in August to Join Own Record Firm Billboard June 1 1968 p 1 Jenkins Henry 1998 The Children s Culture Reader New York City NYU Press pp 146 147 ISBN 978 0 8147 4231 0 Retrieved August 18 2016 Charlie Charlie Rooney Andrew A 2010 Andy Rooney 60 Years of Wisdom and Wit Real Truth from Real Couples About Lasting Love ReadHowYouWant com Limited p 4 ISBN 978 1 4587 5960 3 Retrieved August 31 2016 Rooney Andy January 25 1997 Black white nation weeps for the Great Bill Cosby The Daily Reporter Retrieved September 1 2016 Dyson Michael Eric 2008 Is Bill Cosby Right Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind New York City Basic Books p 121 ISBN 978 0 7867 2207 5 Retrieved August 18 2016 Sergio July 1 2014 Bill Cosby s Forgotten Militant Documentary Black History Lost Stolen or Strayed video IndieWire Retrieved August 19 2016 TetragrammatonAlbum Discography Retrieved December 6 2014 Blair Elizabeth October 25 2021 50 years ago The Electric Company used comedy to boost kids reading skills Arizona Public Media Retrieved October 26 2021 Woolery George W 1985 Children s Television The First Thirty Five Years 1946 1981 Part II Live Film and Tape Series Lanham Maryland The Scarecrow Press pp 393 394 ISBN 0 8108 1651 2 People Magazine article People December 10 1984 Retrieved July 19 2015 Bill Cosby Yahoo Movies Archived from the original on May 21 2010 Retrieved July 14 2010 Cosby To Produce Star In Pic For Col Variety July 9 1986 p 4 National Student Film Institute L A The Sixteenth Annual Los Angeles Student Film Festival The Directors Guild Theatre 1994 pp 10 11 Los Angeles Student Film Institute 13th Annual Student Film Festival The Directors Guild Theatre 1991 p 3 Brooks Tim Marsh Earle F 2007 The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 Present 9 ed Ballantine Books pp 736 737 ISBN 978 0 345 49773 4 Who Were Our 2001 College Commencement Speakers A sampling The Black Excel Newsletter August 2001 Retrieved June 29 2015 Bill Cosby actor and TV personality spoke at Morris Brown College Cosby Bill Spring 2001 The Ohio State University Commencement Address by Bill Cosby The Ohio State University hdl 1811 54007 Cosby Urges Rensselaer Graduates Be Honest Be Humble Albany New York May 12 2001 Retrieved June 29 2015 Commencement 2015 Previous Graduation Speakers High Point University Spring 2015 Retrieved June 29 2015 2007 Commencement Ceremony Bill Cosby Brown Georgia March 16 2007 Five top comedy festivals around the world The Guardian London Retrieved June 5 2013 Miley Marissa January 8 2009 Black Agency Employees Paid 20 Less Than Whites Advertising Age OCLC 39911225 Retrieved January 25 2013 Referencing Nat King Cole s comment that Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark Mr Mehri said They re going to be afraid of the sunshine we re going to bring to the industry Brownfeld Alan June 17 2013 Father s Day with Bill Cosby an American Original Salem News com Retrieved June 26 2015 Bill Cosby Charity Work amp Causes LooktotheStars org Retrieved June 26 2015 DeBose Brian September 9 2009 Cosby urges leaders to aid black families The Washington Times Retrieved June 26 2015 Publicists With a Cannes Do Attitude The Washington Post May 19 2004 Williams Juan 2007 Enough The Phony Leaders Dead End Movements and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America and What We Can Do About It New York City Crown Archetype p 19 ISBN 9780307395191 Retrieved August 22 2019 Tough Talk Bill Cosby PBS July 15 2004 Retrieved August 22 2019 Fattah Lauds Bill Cosby as Hometown Hero US House of Representatives Washington DC Congressman Chaka Fattah October 26 2009 Archived from the original on June 2 2011 Retrieved December 6 2011 a b Is Bill Cosby Right or Is the Black Middle Class Out of Touch Map NPR Retrieved July 23 2009 Dyson Michael Eric July 21 2006 The Injustice Bill Cosby Won t See Map The Washington Post Retrieved July 28 2009 Cornel West radio clip played on Tavis Smiley edition Bill Cosby Airdate May 26 2004 Archived April 20 2010 at the Wayback Machine Cosby to blacks Come on people it s time for change Chicago Tribune June 2 2008 Retrieved November 9 2013 Dale Maryclaire July 7 2015 Cosby admitted in 2005 to getting sedatives to give to women he sought sex with The Globe and Mail Toronto Retrieved July 9 2015 Jones Joyce March 6 2013 Bill Cosby Sounds Off on the GOP BET com Retrieved June 26 2015 Cosby accuser I had 2 drinks went blank CNN November 24 2014 Retrieved December 30 2015 a b Roig Franzia Manuel November 22 2014 Bill Cosby s legacy recast Accusers speak in detail about sexual assault allegations Retrieved September 23 2015 Bill Cosby Allegedly Tried to Get Wendy Williams Fired for Mentioning the Rape Accusations in 1990 November 21 2014 Retrieved November 17 2015 Wendy Williams Show Nov 19 2014 clip telling her story about her 1990 Dishing The Dirt radio show on 98 7 Kiss in New York where she had discussed Cosby allegations as reported in The National Enquirer with Cosby personally phoning her station manager demanding that she be fired Bill Cosby Guilty clip from The Wendy Williams Show published to YouTube on April 27 2018 More Cosby Claims New Accuser Secretly Told Cops About Unwanted Sexual Contact With Bill Read The Shocking Police Report November 18 2014 Cosby Canadian woman settle lawsuit over alleged assault CBC News November 8 2006 Retrieved December 6 2014 a b Bill Cosby Fast Facts CNN July 3 2014 Retrieved November 16 2014 McDonald Soraya Nadia October 31 2014 Is the world starting to turn against Bill Cosby The Washington Post Retrieved November 16 2014 Woolf Nicky December 16 2014 The Bill Cosby sexual abuse claims accusation by accusation The Guardian Retrieved May 24 2015 Fiorillo Victor November 17 2014 Q amp A New Bill Cosby Accuser Joan Tarshis Philadelphia Retrieved November 18 2014 Carter Bill November 14 2014 Cosby Is Off Another Show as Rape Accusations Swirl The New York Times Retrieved November 16 2014 Leopold Todd November 12 2014 Rape allegations won t go away for Bill Cosby CNN Retrieved November 16 2014 Woman Details Alleged Cosby Sex Assault Fox News Channel June 24 2005 Archived from the original on November 20 2014 Retrieved November 19 2014 Gorman Ryan November 26 2014 Cosby mistress claims comedian drugged and raped her fathered her daughter AOL News Retrieved January 17 2015 Reporter who saw Cosby s scandal coming Bob Huber interviewed about his 2006 magazine article that highlighted Cosby allegations 2014 CNN report uploaded to YouTube on Nov 30 Huber Robert June 9 2006 Dr Huxtable amp Mr Hyde Philadelphia Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA Metro Corp Archived from the original on November 12 2018 Retrieved May 4 2018 Huber Robert November 1 2006 Cosby Threw Me on the Bed In a follow up to our June profile of Bill Cosby another woman steps forward with allegations against him Philadelphia Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA Metro Corp Archived from the original on April 26 2020 Retrieved May 4 2018 Who is Hannibal Buress and why did he call Bill Cosby a rapist CBS News November 18 2014 Retrieved September 30 2015 Giles Matt Jones Nate March 3 2015 A Timeline of the Abuse Charges Against Bill Cosby Updated New York Vulture com Retrieved April 24 2015 McQuade Dan October 17 2014 Hannibal Buress on Bill Cosby You re a Rapist Philadelphia Magazine Phillymag com Retrieved April 24 2015 He gets on TV Pull your pants up black people I was on TV in the 80s I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom Yeah but you rape women Bill Cosby so turn the crazy down a couple notches Braxton Greg November 24 2014 Comic Hannibal Buress is low key on his role in Bill Cosby firestorm Los Angeles Times Retrieved April 24 2015 Why Are Old Assault Claims Against Bill Cosby Back CBS News November 17 2014 Retrieved September 30 2015 Bill Cosby raped me Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story The Washington Post November 13 2014 Retrieved September 30 2015 Accompanying video O Connor Erin McKenna Ewen November 13 2014 I will not live in silence anymore about Bill Cosby The Washington Post Retrieved January 10 2016 Durando Jessica November 10 2014 Bill Cosby meme generator backfires on social media USA Today Retrieved April 30 2018 a b Hughes Jason November 18 2014 Bill Cosby Is a Serial Rapist Accuser Joan Tarshis Tells CNN s Don Lemon Video Retrieved November 19 2014 Bueno Antoinette November 18 2014 Janice Dickinson Details Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Accusations He Raped Me Entertainment Tonight Retrieved November 18 2014 a b Lou Ferrigno s wife Carla Ferrigno accuses Bill Cosby of assault more come forward Fox News Channel November 21 2014 Retrieved December 6 2014 Therese Serignese Florida Nurse Says Bill Cosby Drugged and Raped Her in 1976 The Huffington Post November 20 2014 Retrieved November 23 2014 Roig Franzia Manuel November 22 2014 Bill Cosby s legacy recast Accusers speak in detail about sexual assault allegations The Washington Post Retrieved December 6 2014 Playboy bunny claims Bill Cosby tried to kiss fondle her New York Daily News November 23 2014 Retrieved December 6 2014 a b c d e Stern Marlow November 24 2014 Bill Cosby s Long List of Accusers So Far 18 Alleged Sexual Assault Victims Between 1965 2004 The Daily Beast Retrieved December 6 2014 Bowley Graham Manly Lorne November 20 2014 7th Accuser Joins Claims of Assault by Bill Cosby The New York Times Retrieved November 20 2014 Laws Charlotte November 30 2014 Bill Cosby and drugging My 34 year old secret Salon Retrieved October 10 2017 Bill Cosby Drugged Me This Is My Story Vanity Fair December 11 2014 Littleton Cynthia November 19 2014 Bill Cosby Lawyer Disputes Janice Dickinson s Rape Claim Variety Singer Martin D Statement by Martin D Singer attorney for Bill Cosby The Washington Post Retrieved November 23 2014 Bill Cosby BillCosby com November 17 2014 Archived from the original on December 2 2014 Retrieved December 1 2014 Fisher Luchina January 27 2015 Bill Cosby Faces New Accuser Cindra Ladd Good Morning America Puente Maria May 1 2015 Cosby accuser aims for criminal charges USA Today Retrieved May 2 2015 Malone Noreen July 26 2015 I m No Longer Afraid 35 Women Tell Their Stories About Being Assaulted by Bill Cosby and the Culture That Wouldn t Listen New York Retrieved July 27 2015 Lopez German July 26 2015 35 Bill Cosby accusers posed for one defiant powerful magazine cover Vox Retrieved July 27 2015 Cosby The Women Speak A amp E September 17 2015 Retrieved January 10 2016 Pilkington Ed September 18 2015 Bill Cosby back in the spotlight as 13 alleged victims give TV interviews The Guardian Retrieved September 18 2015 Puente Maria October 24 2015 Two more Cosby accusers go public as total nears 60 USA Today Retrieved January 18 2016 a b Holley Peter December 1 2014 Colleges cut ties with Bill Cosby as the list of women accusing him of sexual assault hits 20 The Washington Post Retrieved September 27 2015 Ellie Shechet February 2 2015 Reading Bill Cosby The Wit and Wisdom of an Accused Serial Rapist Jezebel Thistlethwaite Susan July 7 2015 Bill Cosby Race Gender and Serial Rape Denial The Huffington Post Retrieved September 27 2015 Whoopi Goldberg changes stance says for Bill Cosby all signs points to guilt Fox News Channel July 14 2015 Archived from the original on September 30 2015 Retrieved September 27 2015 Rhodan Maya November 20 2014 Bill Cosby on Rape Allegations I Don t Talk About It Time Retrieved December 6 2015 a b Bill Cosby defiant about answering sexual assault allegations KFOR TV November 23 2014 Retrieved May 20 2015 Talmadge Stephanie May 15 2015 Bill Cosby addresses sexual misconduct allegations for the first time The Week Retrieved May 16 2015 Holley Peter December 1 2014 Colleges cut ties with Bill Cosby as the list of women accusing him of sexual assault hits 20 The Washington Post Retrieved September 27 2015 a b Winton Richard July 7 2015 Bill Cosby s admission on Quaaludes may spur lawsuits against him legal experts say Los Angeles Times Retrieved July 9 2015 Ax Joseph Stempel Jonathan June 30 2021 Bill Cosby home from prison after court reverses sexual assault conviction Reuters Retrieved July 2 2021 Bill Cosby Tells Judge That Insurer Is Threatening His Defense Against Accusers The Hollywood Reporter September 15 2015 Retrieved September 15 2015 Moghe Sonia July 24 2015 Cosby deposition Quaaludes came from L A gynecologist CNN Retrieved July 26 2015 Bowley Graham Ember Sydney July 18 2015 Bill Cosby in Deposition Said Drugs and Fame Helped Him Seduce Women The New York Times Retrieved July 19 2015 he presented himself in the deposition as an unapologetic cavalier playboy someone who used a combination of fame apparent concern and powerful sedatives in a calculated pursuit of young women He admitted to giving young women Quaaludes at that time the same as a person would say have a drink he said but not without their knowledge Ho Rodney September 9 2016 Gloria Allred wins Cobb Energy Bill Cosby concert protest case MyAgc Archived from the original on September 11 2016 Retrieved September 9 2016 Levenson Eric Cooper Aaron April 26 2018 Bill Cosby guilty on all three counts in indecent assault trial CNN Retrieved April 26 2018 Reilly Kate May 16 2018 What Makes This Bill Cosby Accusation Different From Others Time Retrieved August 17 2018 a b c d e Millhiser Ian June 30 2021 The court decision freeing Bill Cosby explained as best we can Vox Retrieved July 1 2021 Bowely Graham Coscarelli Joe September 25 2018 Bill Cosby Once a Model of Fatherhood Is Sentenced to Prison The New York Times Retrieved February 5 2021 Cosby sentenced to prison for sex assault BBC News September 25 2018 Retrieved February 5 2021 Francescani Chris Hutchinson Bill September 25 2018 Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison with no bail during appeals ABC News Retrieved September 26 2018 Wagner Meg Ries Brian Yeung Jessie Levenson Eric September 25 2018 Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years CNN Retrieved September 26 2018 On Tuesday afternoon Bill Cosby Bill Cosby now inmate NN7687 placed in single cell MSN September 26 2018 Retrieved January 31 2019 Bowley Graham February 6 2019 Bill Cosby isolated no more joins other inmates in prison Toronto Star But last week authorities moved him from so called administrative segregation to join the general population in a wing that houses other inmates according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Puente Maria December 10 2019 Bill Cosby loses appeal on sex crimes conviction USA Today Li David K June 23 2020 Bill Cosby allowed to appeal sexual assault conviction before Pennsylvania Supreme Court NBC News Retrieved June 23 2020 Savage Charlie July 1 2021 Bill Cosby s Release From Prison Explained The New York Times Archived from the original on December 28 2021 Weiss Debra June 30 2021 Bill Cosby s sexual assault conviction is overturned because of initial district attorney s decision ABA Journal Retrieved July 4 2021 Dale Maryclaire Richer Alanna July 1 2021 Why Bill Cosby s conviction was overturned Associated Press Retrieved July 7 2021 Madani Doha July 1 2021 60 women accused Bill Cosby His conviction had been considered a big win for MeToo NBC News Retrieved July 4 2021 Court Opinions and Postings Supreme Court Courts Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania www pacourts us Retrieved July 11 2021 Rao Sonia Farhi Paul Roig Franzia Manuel June 30 2021 Bill Cosby released from prison after sexual assault conviction vacated by Pennsylvania Supreme Court The Washington Post Retrieved June 30 2021 Court declines review of Cosby decision Associated Press March 7 2022 Retrieved March 7 2022 a b Penn Nathaniel May 2013 The 30th Anniversary of Bill Cosby Himself An All Star Stand Up Salute GQ New York City Williams Mary Elizabeth July 27 2015 Bill Cosby s accusers paint a chilling portrait of the man and his legacy I m thinking it s not going to be Oh great comedian It s going to be Oh serial rapist Salon Ebony s cracked Cosby Show cover reveals fractures in show s legacy for black community The Washington Post October 22 2015 Divine Comedy 25 Best Stand Up Specials and Movies Rolling Stone July 29 2015 50 Best Stand Up Comics of All Time Rolling Stone February 14 2017 Archived from the original on March 30 2018 Retrieved November 24 2022 Papenfuss Mary December 7 2018 Bill Cosby Blamed For Controversy Over Baby It s Cold Outside Retrieved January 20 2019 via Huff Post Poniewozik James February 7 2022 We Need to Talk About Cosby Among Others The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 16 2022 B DRUMMOND AYRES JR January 17 1997 January 17 1997 Bill Cosby s Son Is Slain Along Freeway The New York Times Retrieved January 31 2019 Bill Cosby s Daughter Ensa Cosby Dead At 44 February 26 2018 Retrieved February 26 2018 Bill Cosby Comes Clean News Observer January 20 2012 Archived from the original on March 9 2014 Q amp A Bill Cosby Talks Family Faith and Tim Tebow The Christian Post Bill Cosby settles lawsuit in drug sexual assault case Los Angeles Times Los Angeles California Associated Press November 9 2006 Cosby Bill December 1968 The Regular Way Playboy p 115 Bill Cosby famegame com October 13 2009 Archived from the original on July 19 2017 Retrieved October 13 2009 Bill Cosby bmi com September 25 2001 Retrieved October 13 2009 Lee Felicia R May 17 2007 Arts Briefly Jazz for the Sake of Jazz The New York Times Compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder Retrieved March 22 2016 Kennicott Philip November 9 2014 Conversations Museum s African art outshines Cosby s African American art The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 McGlone Peggy October 27 2016 At 80 Johnnetta Cole reflects on her career and the controversial Cosby exhibition The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Beta Alpha Alpha Chapter Lines Beta Alpha Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc Archived from the original on September 28 2018 Retrieved March 7 2013 Stokes Charles Jacobs Phil Fiscal Year 2008 Report to Contributors PDF CDC Foundation Archived PDF from the original on August 6 2022 Retrieved August 9 2022 Montero Hernandez Ricardo October 28 2016 Bill Cosby is legally blind according to defense attorneys CNN Retrieved February 18 2017 Shnurr Samantha April 26 2017 Bill Cosby Breaks His Silence to Confirm He s Blind E News Los Angeles E Retrieved August 17 2018 Brown Stacy April 26 2017 NNPA Newswire Exclusive Bill Cosby Finally Breaks His Silence BlackPressUSA Retrieved August 17 2018 ago News 1 year July 7 2021 Fresh Out of Prison Bill Cosby is Allegedly Planning a Comeback Tour Okayplayer Retrieved November 24 2022 Lampen Claire September 9 2021 Apparently Bill Cosby Finally Read the Room The Cut Retrieved November 24 2022 Derschowitz Jessica December 5 2014 Bill Cosby s Hollywood Walk of Fame star vandalized CBS News Retrieved April 9 2018 Biography of Bill Cosby John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Archived from the original on February 16 2007 Retrieved February 23 2007 a b McGlone Peggy May 7 2018 Kennedy Center rescinds Honors Twain awards given to Bill Cosby The Washington Post Itzkoff Dave October 27 2009 Bill Cosby receives Mark Twain Prize The New York Times Retrieved September 22 2013 Farhi Paul October 27 2009 Bill Cosby is awarded the Twain Prize for humor at the Kennedy Centre The Washington Post Retrieved September 22 2013 Roman Polanski and Bill Cosby expelled from the film Academy The Guardian May 3 2018 Retrieved March 19 2023 Cosby Camille O Lewis David Bill Cosby 49 Documentary Comedy Bill Cosby Bill Cosby retrieved November 5 2020 Lowry Brian November 19 2013 TV Review Bill Cosby Far From Finished Variety Retrieved November 5 2020 Bill Cosby Artist Discogs Retrieved June 30 2021 Bill Cosby Artist AllMusic Retrieved June 30 2021 Chart history for Bill Cosby Billboard Retrieved August 19 2020 General sources DeBose Brian September 9 2004 Cosby urges leaders to aid black families The Washington Times Archived from the original on June 28 2009 Retrieved November 4 2007 Leiby Richard Publications with a Cannes Do Attitude The Washington Post May 19 2004 3 Morano Marc Bill Cosby was hounded by President Nixon World Entertainment News Network May 1 2000 March 2 2006 Segregated Expectations USA Today May 15 2003 12 Wu Frank H Brown at 50 Keeping Promises Black Issues in Higher Education May 20 2004 49 Biography William Henry Bill Cosby Jr Biographies in Naval History Naval Historical Center Department of the Navy June 22 2006 Archived from the original on April 10 2010 Retrieved November 4 2007 Further reading Excerpts from Bill Cosby s Deposition in 2005 and 2006 in the Andrea Constand case The New York TimesExternal linksBill Cosby at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Data from Wikidata Official website Bill Cosby at IMDb Bill Cosby at the Internet Broadway Database Appearances on C SPAN Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bill Cosby amp oldid 1148574721, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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