• Phylicia Rashad Claims Accusations Against Bill Cosby Are 'Orchestrated' to Destroy His Legacy

    Bill Cosby's reputation and legacy has completely nosedived in under two months thanks to a string of allegations by several different women. Is Cosby really capable of drugging and sexually assaulting women on a regular basis? Could this many people who have never met be telling the same lie? That is what the comedian's legal team is trying to convince us of. It seems the public has hung on the words of those affiliated with Cosby and input from those who worked with him on the set of "The Cosby Show" seems invaluable. Finally, Phylicia Rashad is speaking up.Rashad was Cosby's television wife for years, and after staying quiet for several weeks, she finally spoke exclusively with Showbiz 411 yesterday, and she staunchly defended her friend."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," wrote Roger Friedman."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 Beverly Johnson and Janice Dickinson."Oh, please," she said when their names came up.She is also quick to defend Camille Cosby."This is a tough woman, a smart woman," she told me. "She's no pushover."

  • Two More Women Join Defamation Lawsuit Already Filed Against Bill Cosby

    Bill Cosby may actually be playing a few gigs in Canada this week, but back in the States his sexual assault scandal just got a little messier. For weeks now various women have come forward to accuse Cosby of drugging and then either assaulting or raping them once they were incapacitated, and finally the comedian decided to start fighting back. He hired investigators to dig up dirt on anyone making accusations, and he has also taken direct aim at any woman brave enough to publicly accuse him of wrongdoing. A defamation suit was filed against Cosby weeks ago by one of his alleged victims, Tamara Green, and now two more names have been added to that suit.According to a report by Page Six:"The amended complaint was filed Monday[, Jan. 5,] in U.S. District Court in Springfield, in western Massachusetts, where Cosby has a home in Shelburne Falls."Cosby is the only defendant in the lawsuit, originally filed last month by Tamara Green, who said he drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s. The two new plaintiffs are Therese Serignese, who said he drugged and raped her in 1976, and Linda Traitz, who alleges he tried to drug her and then sexually groped her in 1970."Attorney Joseph Cammarata, who represents the three women, said the civil action allows them to have their allegations heard since criminal statutes of limitation have expired."

  • In Spite of Scandal, Donald Trump Lets Us All Know How Cool He Still Thinks Bill Cosby Is on Premiere of 'Celebrity Apprentice'

    Keshia Knight Pulliam found herself in the unenviable position of being the first person fired from "Celebrity Apprentice" last night, Jan. 4, and the reason she was cut so quickly is raising eyebrows this morning. The show was actually filmed in May 2014, several months before the sexual abuse scandal surrounding Bill Cosby would reignite and threaten to destroy his career. But it was because Pulliam did not call Cosby for a donation that she was ultimately fired and Donald Trump's support of the man was epic.The final few minutes in the boardroom were pretty awkward for everyone watching, as Trump grilled Pulliam on her choice not to reach out to Cosby."Did you call Bill?" Trump asked her."I did not," Pulliam said, crying. "I have not talked to Bill Cosby on the phone in I don't know how long. So for me to pick up the phone, having not talked to you for five years, except for when we run into each other for a Cosby event — I feel that's not my place to do.""I really believe, if you'd called that gentleman, he would've helped you, even if you hadn't spoken to him in years, because you were an amazing team with one of the most successful shows ever. So I think it would've been a very good call to make for charity. But you have to take responsibility. I think you agree with that," said Trump.

  • Bill Cosby to Play Three Shows This Week in Canada in Spite of Mixed Reactions

    While Bill Cosby may be having a hard time keeping his career going in the states right now, he will be doing a few of his stand up shows in Canada later this week. Many U.S. venues have either canceled shows that they had previously booked with the fallen star or else he has scrapped some scheduled gigs at the last minute. The end result has been the same, ever since women started to come forward and accuse Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them, he hasn't been very marketable.

  • Bill Cosby Has Hired Investigators to Dig Up Dirt on His Many Accusers

    After everything that we have heard about Bill Cosby's true character in recent weeks, it is surprising he has not gone after his multitude of accusers from the start. He may have held back from doing so in the beginning while hoping that all the accusations would somehow just disappear and be discredited on their own. Since the exact opposite has happened, Cosby is now out for proverbial blood.According to a report by Page Six, Cosby has hired a West Coast-based team of private investigators to dig up any dirt that exists on his accusers. In one meeting with the team, Cosby reportedly said, "If you're going to say to the world that I did this to you, then the world needs to know what kind of person are you? Who is this person that's saying it? You can't say that I put something in your coffee, threw you in a cab and then you go on and live a high-profile life, a famous life and you never complain."That, quite obviously, is in reference to Beverly Johnson's account of being drugged by the actor while auditioning for his sitcom back in the 1980s.

  • Bill Cosby's Legal Team Insists CNN is Trying to Ruin Him

    Bill Cosby's uphill battle to save his career isn't even close to over yet. Instead, it seems like with each passing day we learn of a new accuser or someone offers up scathing details of an encounter with the actor that seem to prop up all of the other allegations that came before. When Beverly Johnson decided to speak out recently it seemed like a bit of a game-changer because no one seemed to really question her account and there was a shift in the way that the media covered this story. Cosby felt it enough to actually talk to a reporter in the hopes of dividing and conquering the media. It didn't work, so now Cosby's legal team is ripping into the media, one network at a time and they're starting with CNN.

  • Will Rosie O'Donnell Exit 'The View' After Another Cutthroat Fight on Camera with Whoopi Goldberg?

    There has been so much talk lately about Rosie O'Donnell's unhappiness on "The View," mostly because of her almost-daily clashes with Whoopi Goldberg. If you have tuned in for even only a few minutes you will realize the tension that hangs in the air between these two. A few weeks ago, rumors started swirling that O'Donnell might not even make it the entire season without quitting, and after an ugly fight on camera between the two this morning, we almost have to wonder if ABC is hoping for that to happen.O'Donnell and Goldberg have not seen eye to eye lately on issues such as the Bill Cosby scandal or the Ferguson protests, and today they clashed over racism, with Goldberg insisting that O'Donnell had no idea what it is.Both Goldberg and O'Donnell addressed each other in a heated exchange that left the other women at the roundtable unsure of what to say.

  • Camille Cosby Is Defending Her Husband as Scandal Surrounding Bill Cosby Deepens

    Bill Cosby's life and business has been completely turned upside down over the last several weeks by a series of allegations that are shocking and impossible to ignore. Had just one or two women gone public with allegations of sexual misconduct, then Cosby would probably be standing on much stronger footing right now. Instead, more than two dozen women have come forward to paint the popular actor and comedian as, at best, manipulative and, at worst, a calculating serial rapist who has spent decades drugging and assaulting young women in Hollywood. Through it all, Cosby's wife of more than 50 years has stood by his side, keeping silent — at least until now.Camille Cosby has finally decided to speak up and out on behalf of her husband. She issued a simple statement that was intended to assure people that Cosby is indeed as good a man as the characters he has portrayed."The man I met, and fell in love with, and whom I continue to love, is the man you all knew through his work. He is a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend. He is the man you thought you knew," explained Camille.She also went on to liken this scandal involving her husband to the alleged UVA gang rape story that "Rolling Stone" ran before double-checking its sources.

  • Bill Cosby Breaks His Silence Amid Scandal and Plays the Race Card to Divert Attention

    While women seem to have come pouring out of the woodwork to make allegations against Bill Cosby, for the most part he has stayed tight-lipped. Obviously his legal team has advised him that it is probably in his best interest not to comment, but last Friday Cosby spoke with a Page Six reporter and in the matter of just a few words attempted to play the race card.Cosby has requested that, in spite of all the allegations, the media do their job and remain neutral while covering this scandal and its daily updates. Apparently, Cosby does not expect the majority of the press to be able to do that, as he said, "Let me say this. I only expect the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that you have to go in with a neutral mind."It is more than a little bit ironic that Cosby opted to make a statement that would separate journalists by color, especially at this point in time when racial tensions are perhaps at an all-time high thanks to high-profile cases in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City. Cosby knew what he was tapping into when making that statement, and it also links to a bigger issue that is playing out in the form of protests all over the country.

  • Beverly Johnson Accuses Bill Cosby of Drugging and Dragging Her in Essay for 'Vanity Fair'

    How many more women are going to come forward with allegations of Bill Cosby drugging them, sexually assaulting them, or both? It seems like nearly every single day there is a new story and today's comes from a legendary supermodel Beverly Johnson. Rather than keeping her story to herself, Johnson decided to write an essay for "Vanity Fair," describing her encounters with Cosby in the mid-1980s.

  • 'South Park' Holiday Special Trailer: Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea, Miley Cyrus All Targets for Tomorrow's Season Finale [WATCH]

    The good people behind "South Park" look to have saved their most ruthless episode for last. No one is safe during tomorrow's Dec. 10 season finale. The new trailer for "The Washington Redskins' Go F--k Yourself Holiday Special" features cartoon appearances by Iggy Azalea, U2, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. The show will also take aim at Al Pacino, Bill Cosby and the recent hologram craze with Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.Like I said, no one is safe.As "Consequence of Sound" notes, this season has been full of special appearances by artists and celebrities who have dominated the news in 2014. Most notably, Randy Marsh revealed that he is actually New Zealand singer Lorde. Even deceased musicians will be dug up, appearing in the show as holograms (social media: #HappyHolograms). The show is bound to be full of laughs with Cartman commentating and Jackson's hologram performing as Peter Pan. Check out the trailer below."South Park" is currently in its 18th season and, by all accounts, the creative partnership of Trey Parker and Matt Stone has yet to lose steam.

  • Chris Rock On The Breakfast Club: 'Top Five' Comedian Talks Upcoming Film, Bill Cosby, Eric Garner/Mike Brown, DJ Envy Beef, And More

    Chris Rock stopped by Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club this morning to promote the upcoming movie he wrote, directed and stars in called Top Five, which is due out in theaters on Dec. 12. Rock took the time to chat about the film, Love and Hip Hop Atlanta's Karlie Red's role in Top Five, the Bill Cosby controversy, what it means to be relevant, the state of Hollywood, the potential of a post-racial society, why he loves 12 Years A Slave, his beef with DJ Envy, why he only listens to music on his iPod, and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
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