Newly released video from the Associated Press shows actor Bill Cosby responding for the first time to renewed allegations that he raped more than a dozen women.
The AP published the video, which was filmed on Nov. 6, on Wednesday night. The news outlet said it decided to publish the video after another woman, supermodel Janice Dickinson, came forward to accuse Cosby of rape and NBC scrapped the actor’s planned planned sitcom.
“I have to ask about your name coming up in the news lately, regarding this comedian,” the interviewer asked, referring to comedian Hannibal Buress, who called Cosby a rapist on stage.
“No, no, we don’t answer that,” Cosby responded.
The interviewer pressed Cosby on the issue a couple more times before the comedian interrupted.
“There is no comment about that,” Cosby said. “And I tell you why. I think you were told — and I don’t want to compromise your integrity — but I don’t talk about it.”
At the end of the interview, Cosby, who was still wearing a microphone, asked the interviewer to make sure that none of his comments on the rape allegations would be published. The interviewer said he couldn’t make those promises.
“I would appreciate it if it was scuttled,” Cosby said.
“I think if you want to consider yourself to be serious, that it will not appear anywhere,” he then told the reporter.
Cosby had been asked about the rape allegations directly in an interview with NPR that aired Saturday. He said nothing in response.
Watch below:
Methinks he doth protest too little and then works on controlling the media response.
He is a very unhappy looking comedian.
I think he’s aware that “no comment” always looks like some sort of comment.
This is a casting couch story. Go with it and your career gets going. Resist and you are left with nothing. Bill Cosby was doing what was and continues to be done to young women (and vulnerable men too) trying for a career in the arts. The biggest difference, is that Cosby didn’t just threaten and manipulate, he drugged them into submission. Being around the art and film business, I’ve known many people who have slept their way to success, but we do not usually hear from the ones that refused advances because they end up living their lives in obscurity. I have never publicly called out any of the offenders I have personally known and I am not sure what good it would do now, but I bet this wave of women coming forward about Cosby will bring others forward about many of our society’s sacred cows.
Quite Bushian in his efforts to schmooze and manipulate the reporter…notice Camille just sat there frozen and didn’t breathe a word.