Judd Apatow Calls For Venues To Cancel Bill Cosby's Scheduled Comedy Performances
Judd Apatow has thrown the gauntlet down: he's demanding all theaters to cancel any and all Bill Cosby appearances and slated performances this year.
The director/comedian is one of only a few celebrities taking a decisive stand on the recent conversation about Cosby's history. Following the weeks of increasing uproar regarding "The Cosby Show" patriarch and longstanding comedy icon, Bill Cosby, in the wake of resurfaced sexual assault allegations, many celebrities have stayed uncharacteristically silent.
In fact only a few folks were able to muster up anything on the matter, sticking with humor as one is generally wont to do in conflicting, emotional times:
For others, humor was not an option. On the heels of 14 women's testimonies on the matter, several other actresses including model Janice Dickinson, Michelle Hurd of "Law & Order: SVU", "Incredible Hulk" star Carla Ferrigno, and Louisa Moritz of "Love American Style" all came forward with their own assault experiences with Cosby, showing solidarity amidst the rampant nature of Cosby's alleged abuse.
Cosby — who received a standing ovations from fans this weekend — has largely been left alone by his fellow celebrities with few people taking sides and instead questioning the women's words and motives after all these years.
In fact, most towed this erring on the side of caution line, such as Rosie O'Donnell did during a segment about the news on "The View," as Cosby has never been convicted of a crime.
"There are many, many, many [allegations], and it's very hard, I think, for any of us to discuss Bill Cosby in this context," O'Donnell explained. "Because he is the beloved father image, the benevolent father that we as a society hold in some way. Even for, you know, anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse to believe that somebody that you love or know could do that is a very difficult thing. So to even talk about it I think is hard."
Several other actors came to bat for Cosby, including actress Stacey Dash and Piers Morgan:
Cosby's TV daughter, Raven Symone, perferred to stay staunchly out of the ruckus, taking to Instagram to say "I was NOT taking advantage of by Mr. Cosby when I was on the Cosby Show! I was practically a baby on that show and this is truly a disgusting rumor that I want no part of! Everyone on that show treated me with nothing but kindness. Now keep me out of this!"
The same distance was also put between Cosby's behavior and the series' producers Tom Werner and Marcy Carey, who said the allegations were "beyond our knowledge or comprehension."
Still, some folks were able to help folks understand how to deal with conflicting feelings and emotions, like journalist and author Demetria Lucas and former "Saturday Night Live" actress Noël Wells:
But the backlash has been swift, and it has not left Cosby unscathed on a professional level. The comedian has lost several gigs since the return of the accusations to the limelight. NBC decided to stop work on a proposed comedy series he would have starred in, Netflix pulled "Bill Cosby 77" from its planned Thanksgiving release, TV Land dropped all scheduled repeats of "The Cosby Show" from air, and several scheduled live performances — including one at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and an on-air interview with David Letterman — were all cancelled.
For one MTV staffer's perspective on growing up with "The Cosby Show" in the wake of these allegations, go here.
