The comedian's career comeback has been halted by persistent allegations of sexual misconduct.
Things continue to unravel for Bill Cosby. The legendary comedian, 77, continues to find himself embroiled in scandal, and now a proposed career “comeback” is in serious jeopardy.
As Huffington Post summarizes, Cosby has been plagued by rumors of sexual misconduct for decades, but when fellow comedian’s Hannibal Buress called him a “rapist” in a stand-up routine in October, the issue went viral. Women such as actress Barbara Bowman, who claims she was attacked 30 years ago, have since reiterated their claims of having been sexually assaulted and/or drugged by the star, while others have come forward for the first time. Alleged victims such as supermodel Janice Dickerson and former actress Joan Tarshis have spoken out for the first time, with Tarshis writing that, “as more and more of his rape victims have come forward, all telling similar stories, the time is right to join them.”
While Cosby has yet to ever be charged in a criminal case, the professional repercussions have been immediate and significant. The New York Times reports Cosby’s appearances on both Queen Latifah and David Letterman’s shows were canceled. Netflix “postponed” his comedy special, and a pilot project Cosby was working on for NBC has been cancelled.
Cosby has refused to comment personally on the scandal, and his lawyer released a statement to that effect on Sunday, available on Huffington Post. “Over the last several weeks, decades-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced,” lawyer John P. Schmitt wrote. “The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and…there will be no further statement from Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives.”
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