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Dear Bill Cosby Defenders: What Do You Have to Say for Yours

PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 11:41 pm
by admin
Dear Bill Cosby Defenders: What Do You Have to Say for Yourselves Now?
BY YESHA CALLAHAN
July 7 2015

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Maybe people will now finally stop defending the comedian?

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Bill Cosby
DAVID A. SMITH/GETTY IMAGES


Over the last year, I’ve sat back and reported on case after case after case of women coming forward with rape and drug claims against everyone’s favorite TV dad, Bill Cosby. Every day, almost immediately after a post hit Facebook and Twitter, Cosby’s defenders pulled their capes out of the closet and defended his honor and legacy.

The women who accused Cosby were called gold diggers and liars. The women were from all walks of life, from those with regular careers to even other celebrities like Beverly Johnson and Janice Dickinson. More than 30 women have accused Cosby of the same crime. In different states. During different time periods. But that wasn’t enough for people to believe that the man who played their beloved Dr. Cliff Huxtable on TV was a rapist.

Cosby even had his celebrity defenders. From Jill Scott to Phylicia Rashad, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Whoopi Goldberg and human fatback Faizon Love.

On Monday, Scott finally came to her senses and stated that she was “disgusted” with Cosby. Scott said that she only defended Cosby because there wasn’t any definite proof, until she read the court testimony from 2005.

“About Bill Cosby. Sadly his own testimony offers PROOF of terrible deeds, which is ALL I have ever required to believe the accusations,” she wrote Monday night.

Here’s the thing. These people who defended Cosby clearly didn’t care about the women making these accusations. They were called liars from the beginning. Their names have been dragged through the mud and their lives have been scrutinized.

Thirty-plus women. With the same story. The same scenarios. But still people caped so hard for Cosby.


So what do you have to say for yourselves now?

The stories weren’t good enough for you? The fact that the stories were so similar wasn’t enough for you? I would hope that none of you who defended Cosby have female relatives. I would hope that if a daughter, niece, aunt, sister, mother or grandmother came to you and said that someone drugged and raped her, instead of victim-blaming and -shaming, you’d actually listen and help her.

Rape is one of the most underreported crimes against women. And it’s because of people like Cosby’s defenders that rape victims seldom come forward.


While your lovable Cosby was out and about telling the black community to pick up its pants and raise its children, he was also drugging women with Benadryl and Quaaludes. This is the man you so staunchly defended. This is the man who admitted giving a Temple University employee drugs in 2005.

This man isn’t the Dr. Huxtable you watched every Thursday night on TV. And you owe his victims an apology.

Yesha Callahan is editor of The Grapevine and a staff writer at The Root. Follow her on Twitter.