Phylicia Rashad Defends Bill Cosby, Slams "Orchestrated" Abuse Claims - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 01-07-2015, 03:03 AM

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EXCLUSIVE It was just happenstance: I ran into Tony winner Phylicia Rashad today at Paramount’s super elegant lunch for the movie “Selma” at the Metropolitan Club. Rashad co-starred with Bill Cosby for 12 years as his TV wife– first on “The Cosby Show” and then on its sequel “Cosby” featuring Madeline Kahn. She will always be Claire Huxtable, wife of Dr. Cliff, and mother of the Huxtable family.

No one knows Cosby better than the soft spoken, smart, articulate Rashad, for whom I have a lot of respect. So far she has not said a word about the scandal that has engulfed Cosby and is systematically destroying his 50 year career and reputation.
So far.

Now, as the extraordinary “Selma” lunch– which featured a brilliant performance by Common and John

Legend of their theme song, “Glory”– Rashad and I had a talk about Cosby. No less than Harry Belafonte and Ruben Santiago Hudson were hovering above us as we chatted. Let’s make something clear. Rashad, who is one of our greatest stage actresses, has kept quiet, didn’t seek me out, and even said “I don’t want to become part of the public debate.”

But knowing this she did say to me “I love him” about Bill Cosby. She stands defiantly behind him. She told me that in the years she’s known him, she has never seen the behavior alleged by the women who say they were drugged and raped, or sexually harassed.

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“Forget these women,” Rashad said. “What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it’s orchestrated. I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy. And it’s a legacy that is so important to the culture.”

Rashad dismisses claims from both Beverly Johnson and Janice Dickinson. “Oh, please,” she said when their names came up. She also is quick to defend Camille Cosby. “This is a tough woman, a smart woman,” she told me. “She’s no pushover.” There is no question, Rashad said, that Camille Cosby has not been complicit or looked the other way as her husband terrorized women for the last 50 years.

She said, “Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV,” alluding to people other than the women. “And it’s worked. All his contracts have been cancelled.”

We talked more about the legacy of The Cosby Show. “This show represented America to the outside world. This was the American family. And now you’re seeing it being destroyed. Why?”

She said Cosby himself is probably too proud to raise a defense. I countered that his silence reminded me of how Jerry Lewis reacted whe, after 50 years. the Muscular Dystrophy Association treated him like dirt. He refused to fight back. To quote a popular song from the 70s: “If you don’t know me by now, you will never never know me.”

So what to do about Cosby’s accusers? Rashad feels strongly that some other force is at play– for some reason, Cosby’s great strides in education, as well as show business, are being ruined so that new generations will only remember him by this scandal. And what about a defense from the man himself? “If he spoke now, what do you think the media would do with it?” Rashad asked. And let’s face it, she’s right about that.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2015/01/06...nds-her-friend

tlc38tlc38 · 01-07-2015, 10:19 AM

Right, wrong, or indifferent...at least someone is coming forth with comments.

Curious to find out what kind of "force" she is referring to.

TMC · 01-07-2015, 08:39 PM

Judd Apatow, Tom Arnold, Norm MacDonald and Accusers Slam Phylicia Rashad’s Defense of Bill Cosby

Phylicia Rashad Exclusively Speaks to ABC World News Tonight

UMFaninMD · 01-07-2015, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Judd Apatow, Tom Arnold, Norm MacDonald and Accusers Slam Phylicia Rashad’s Defense of Bill Cosby

Phylicia Rashad Exclusively Speaks to ABC World News Tonight

Seems that Apatow is a Woody Allen supporter and we all know what he did...

However, I do believe there is some truth to the allegations about Cosby and her remark "forget those women" was very cold and harsh.

SitcomsOffline · 01-07-2015, 10:22 PM

With all due respect, Ms. Rashad should have just kept quiet.

The fact that she's outright defending him (versus just not saying anything like Keisha Knight Pulliam) kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth about her...

Vahan · 01-07-2015, 10:25 PM

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Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

Seems that Apatow is a Woody Allen supporter and we all know what he did...

Mia Farrow thinks that her older brother being a child rapist is no big deal. Also, she was accusing Woody Allen of being a pedophile child rapist, BEFORE he was alleged to have raped 7-year-old Dylan Farrow. I'm just saying...

Also, please do not speak for me. You can have your own opinion on the Woody Allen controversy, but do not expect everyone to have the same opinion as yours.

isiahthomas · 01-16-2015, 04:58 PM

Of course Phylicia is gonna defend Bill since he employed her hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Who knows if she would've gotten acting jobs anywhere else if she hadn't been on The Cosby Show. I think she's a good actress but it's sad she hasn't done much since The Cosby Show. She's been in 2 Tyler Perry movies. She's aged well but she was hot back in the day.

TMC · 01-18-2015, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isiahthomas

Of course Phylicia is gonna defend Bill since he employed her hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Who knows if she would've gotten acting jobs anywhere else if she hadn't been on The Cosby Show. I think she's a good actress but it's sad she hasn't done much since The Cosby Show. She's been in 2 Tyler Perry movies. She's aged well but she was hot back in the day.

The bottom-line regarding Phylicia is that her career is so closely tied to Bill Cosby that if she outright came out against him, she'd destroy any legacy she has. It's kind of no different than Diane Keaton's ongoing defense of Woody Allen.

candlefires · 01-21-2015, 02:32 AM

All this is just so sad

cleverfun3000 · 01-21-2015, 05:27 PM

She NEVER SAID "Forget these women." What she said was "It's not about these women. . .it's about the destruction of an American legacy."

01-07-2015, 10:19 AM	#2
tlc38tlc38 Every day’s a Dolly day! Forum Star Join Date: May 02, 2008 Location: I’m just travelin’ thru Posts: 19,264	Right, wrong, or indifferent...at least someone is coming forth with comments. Curious to find out what kind of "force" she is referring to.
	__________________ Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 In loving memory of my best friend, my Mama.

01-21-2015, 05:27 PM	#10
cleverfun3000 Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 18, 2008 Location: Manhattan Posts: 1,685	She NEVER SAID "Forget these women." What she said was "It's not about these women. . .it's about the destruction of an American legacy."
	__________________ I'm not speaking for everyone. Just myself and those that agree with me.

01-07-2015, 08:39 PM	#3
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,800	Judd Apatow, Tom Arnold, Norm MacDonald and Accusers Slam Phylicia Rashad’s Defense of Bill Cosby Phylicia Rashad Exclusively Speaks to ABC World News Tonight

01-07-2015, 10:22 PM	#5
SitcomsOffline Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 03, 2013 Posts: 492	With all due respect, Ms. Rashad should have just kept quiet. The fact that she's outright defending him (versus just not saying anything like Keisha Knight Pulliam) kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth about her...

01-16-2015, 04:58 PM	#7
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	Of course Phylicia is gonna defend Bill since he employed her hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Who knows if she would've gotten acting jobs anywhere else if she hadn't been on The Cosby Show. I think she's a good actress but it's sad she hasn't done much since The Cosby Show. She's been in 2 Tyler Perry movies. She's aged well but she was hot back in the day.

01-21-2015, 02:32 AM	#9
candlefires Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 21, 2015 Posts: 11	All this is just so sad