Bill Cosby Reacts To The Serious Allegations In Controversial Cosby Docuseries
Bill Cosby finally responds!
This article is more than 2 years old
Bill Cosby has broken his silence on the upcoming docuseries, We Need to Talk About Cosby. The film, which was directed by W. Kamau Bell, recently debuted at the Sundance Film Festival sparking the actor’s response. The series will make its premiere on Showtime January 30th at 10 p.m.
The statement released to EW by Bill Cosby’s representative reads, “Mr. Cosby has spent more than 50 years standing with the excluded; made it possible for some to be included; standing with the disenfranchised; and standing with those women and men who were denied respectful work… because of race and gender… within the expanses of the entertainment industries.”
Bill Cosby’s representative concluded the statement by saying, “Mr. Cosby continues to be the target of numerous media that have, for too many years, distorted and omitted truths… intentionally. None have ever been proven in any court of law. Mr. Cosby vehemently denies all allegations waged against him. Let’s talk about Bill Cosby. He wants our nation to be what it proclaims itself to be: a democracy.”
We Need to Talk About Cosby will focus its lens on the allegations surrounding the comedian. The docuseries plans to take audiences on the journey following the comedian’s long running career in the entertainment industry and his crashing after he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by over 60 women. Often referred to as and considered to be “America’s dad,” Bill Cosby opened the doors for many young Black artists hoping to display their talents in Hollywood. That all came to a screeching halt for the actor following the allegations. In 2018, Cosby was convicted of sexual assault and received a prison sentence. However, in June of 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated his conviction and the actor was released from prison.
An incredibly talented writer and successful comedian, Bell is known for his work creating and starring in Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell and United Shades of America. Throughout We Need to Talk About Cosby, Bell will piece together the behind-the-scenes story of Bill Cosby’s time on the hit NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show. Using interviews from director’s assistant Steve Watkins, and several other members of the show’s cast and crew, Bell hopes to give audiences more of the story surrounding the entertainer.
Among the information Watkins revealed during his interview, one focuses on Bill Cosby bringing in several specific women to the live audience tapings. During the interview, Watkins discloses that the team eventually discovered the women attending the performances were models who would then privately talk with Cosby. Bell will also sit down with one of those models as she recounts her experiences.
Along with Watkins, two other actors who were featured on The Cosby Show agreed to be interviewed and share their memories of their time on set. Joseph C. Phillips and Lili Bernard back Watkins’ memories of the women spending time in Bill Cosby’s dressing room. Bernard claims that the women would be “lined up” outside of the star’s changing area, one going in after the other. Phillips added that “everybody knew” that Cosby would lead women into his dressing room claiming to give them an audition for the beloved family comedy series.
The four-part docu-series will also use interviews with other accusers, comedians, and journalists as well as archival footage to tell the story of Bill Cosby’s rise and fall. Many of those featured in the series have fond memories of growing up with the fatherly influence on their screens which makes it even more difficult after hearing the allegations against him. With both sets of information at hand, the interviewees will answer difficult questions surrounding Cosby’s multiple accusations.
