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- July 13, 2020
- 9:00 pm
Bill Cosby was so beloved that he was dubbed America’s dad…until that all changed in a truly horrific way.
But it’s not just The Cosby Show patriarch who has a dark side. Some of the sitcom’s other big stars definitely had a few skeletons lurking in their closets as well.
Bill Cosby’s reign as America’s dad famously came crumbling down amidst allegations of sexual misconduct spanning decades. According to CNN, more than 50 women have since leveled allegations at the comedian, including various claims of drugging and assault, but there only needed to be one to send the octogenarian to prison.
Andrea Constand, a Temple University staffer who worked with the women’s basketball team, was the first person to publicly accuse Cosby. According to reports from CNN and Vulture, she claimed that in 2004, the comedian gave her medication to, quote, “ease her anxiety” that made her dizzy before he sexually assaulted her. In an incident that occurred the following year, she also accused Cosby of, quote, “inappropriate touching.”
Cosby was charged with sexual assault in 2015, but according to TMZ, the initial case ended in a mistrial in 2017 because the jury was deadlocked. During the retrial in 2018, Constand and five women who claimed to have also been drugged and sexually assaulted gave their testimony. Cosby was ultimately convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. The sitcom star was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison. Speaking with Black Press USA just months after his sentencing, Cosby said he would not show remorse during any upcoming parole hearings and still maintained his innocence.
What was the alleged rift between Bill Cosby and Lisa Bonet and how did it impact her departure from the show?
The Cosby Show was once regarded as one of the most iconic and beloved sitcoms in television history, airing for eight years from 1984 to 1992. The show was lauded for its portrayal of a successful and loving African-American family, headed by the affable Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby. However, in recent years, The Cosby Show has been tarnished by the numerous allegations of sexual assault and misconduct attributed to Cosby. Despite this, there are still several dark secrets that the cast of The Cosby Show has attempted to hide.
One of the most prominent of these secrets is the alleged rift between Cosby and co-star Lisa Bonet, who played his daughter Denise Huxtable. Bonet was one of the show’s most popular characters but left abruptly after its first season amid rumors of tensions between her and Cosby. It was believed that Bonet’s public image clashed with Cosby’s wholesome image for the show, leading to her departure.
Another dark secret that has come to light in recent years is that the Cosby Show cast were aware of the rumors surrounding Cosby’s behavior towards women. Several cast members have since come forward to reveal that they had heard whispers about Cosby’s alleged misconduct, but chose to remain silent. Phylicia Rashad, who played Cosby’s wife on the show, has publicly defended him on several occasions, including during his trial for sexual assault in 2018.
Furthermore, Sharlene Martin, who was an extra on The Cosby Show, has claimed that Cosby’s on-set behavior was at times inappropriate. Martin alleges that Cosby made inappropriate comments and advances towards her during filming, but that it was always silenced by the show’s production team.
One of the most shocking revelations of all is that Cosby’s behavior was not limited to the show’s set. The actor was known to hire limousines to transport young female fans to his hotel rooms, where he would allegedly ply them with drugs and sexually assault them. Several of these women have since come forward with their stories, leading to Cosby’s conviction on three counts of sexual assault in 2018.
The Cosby Show was once an emblem of family-friendly entertainment, but it’s clear that behind the scenes, the truth was much darker. The cast, including Bill Cosby himself, tried to hide these secrets for years, but it’s clear that the truth has finally come out. We may never know the full extent of the dark secrets that the Cosby Show cast was hiding, but it’s clear that the show’s once-impeccable reputation has been forever tarnished.
