Bill Cosby Quote

William Henry Cosby Jr. ( KOZ-bee; born July 12, 1937) is an American former comedian, actor, spokesman, and media personality. He performed over a period of decades in film, television, and stand-up comedy, with his longest-running live-action role being that of Cliff Huxtable in the sitcom The Cosby Show (1984-1992). He also released several stand-up comedy albums and was a popular spokesperson in advertising for decades. Cosby was well known in the United States for his eccentric image and gained a reputation as "America's Dad". Since 2014, dozens of allegations of sexual assault have been made against him, which has effectively ended his career. There had been previous allegations against Cosby, but they were dismissed and accusers were ignored or disbelieved.
Cosby began his career as a stand-up comic at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco in 1961, and primarily performed observational comedy in a conversational style. He released several standup comedy albums from 1965 to 1970, and starred in the comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself. His acting career began with a starring role in the television secret-agent show I Spy (1965–1968), and continued as he starred in the sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, which ran for two seasons from 1969 to 1971. Using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand-up routines, Cosby created, produced, and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids which ran from 1972 until 1985. From 1984 to 1992, Cosby produced and starred in The Cosby Show and produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World. Cosby also starred in The Cosby Mysteries (1994–1995), the sitcom Cosby (1996–2000) and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998–2000). He also advertised various products including the Jell-O ice pop treats Pudding Pop. Cosby was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2002, and received numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his career.
Cosby has been the subject of numerous sexual assault allegations, having been accused by over 60 women of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, and sexual harassment. Those allegations became highly publicized in 2014 after fellow comedian Hannibal Buress brought them back into the public spotlight during a stand-up routine; thereafter, many additional claims were made. Cosby has maintained his innocence and repeatedly denied the allegations made against him. In the wake of the allegations, media organizations pulled reruns of The Cosby Show and other television programs featuring Cosby from syndication, and many of his awards and honorary degrees were revoked. In 2018, Cosby was convicted of aggravated sexual assault against a woman named Andrea Constand, who had previously filed against Cosby in a 2005 lawsuit. He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on the basis of Cosby's 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights being violated. In 2022, Cosby was found civilly liable for having sexually assaulted a woman named Judy Huth when she was 16.