There aren’t many people alive today who can say that Bill Cosby has not touched their lives in some way, but some, it seems, claim he has touched them inappropriately. Cosby, 77, joins the ranks of the late Michael Jackson, and Rock and Roll Star Gary Glitter as one of the least likely celebrities capable of sexual assault, mainly due to his homely appearance, generated by his groundbreaking sitcom The Cosby Show. The former Kids Say the Darndest Things host was first accused of groping a woman, Lachele Covington, in early 2000.
Later, in 2004, Cosby was again alleged to have assaulted an employee from Temple University, which resulted in a settlement out of court. During this time multiple women came forward, each of them claiming either to have been drugged or fondled by Cosby. Not very much action could be taken however, as authorities refused to charge the Ghost Dad star due to lack of evidence. Cosby himself remained decidedly quiet as the number of accusations against him swelled, including those of several well established celebrities such as Janice Dickenson, and actress Louisa Moritz, dating as far back as 1984.
By the late 2000’s Cosby’s accusers numbered above thirteen, and it seemed several media news outlets were determined to spread the story of his alleged victims. Whether or not the accusations are true, one real truth has remained constant; high profile entertainment moguls are often times the target of extortionist schemes. Who can forget the Chandler family, who were tape-recorded discussing the amount of money and fame they stood to gain by accusing the King of Pop of rape? Or again when Bill Cosby was approached by his would-be illegitimate daughter Autumn Jackson, demanding a $40 million payout or else her story would hit the media? Not to say Cosby is an innocent man but the opportunity for financial advancement becomes apparent when the bandwagon gets rolling.
Due to the accessibility to news that the internet provides nowadays, it is very easy to read a headline to an article and believe it’s words for fact. Will readers that have been bombarded about Cosby’s latest scandal accept the allegations as true accounts of his character? Or will they wait for the end of all his trials, numerous though they may be, and then decide on whether Mr. Huxtable is as lovable as he had always seemed? It is not as though Cosby can’t make a comeback, or his reputation can’t be repaired: take a look at the tumultuous childhood of one Robert Downey Jr. who is now among the top bankable Hollywood actors today.
The jury may be out on whether or not Bill Cosby is a bad man, but the public can be a very cruel judge to anyone even accused of wrongdoing. Good men have been vilified but were absent of any crimes, just as bad men have walked free whilst their hands remained dirty. Whichever type of man he is, the world will soon find out, but either way justice is sure to prevail.
Blog By Reginald Christopher Robinson II
Image courtesy of Shawn – Flickr License