Bill Cosby: From America’s Favorite TV Dad to a Fall From Grace Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
The 83-year-old American comedian Bill Cosby is once again a free man. His conviction for sexual abuse has been overturned due to procedural errors. Cosby became known worldwide for his role in “The Cosby show”. In recent years, his image as “America’s dad” has suffered a serious blow. He was accused of sexual abuse by more than 60 women. His conviction was therefore seen as a victory for the #metoo movement, which denounces sexual violence against women. Who is Bill Cosby?
In 1963, he appeared in “The tonight show” on the American NBC. That performance led to a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, where his debut LP “Bill Cosby is a very funny fellow…right!” was released in 1964, the first of a series of comedy albums. Cosby mainly scored with funny anecdotes from his childhood.
The album “To Russell, my brother, whom I slept with” already deals with the themes that will recur throughout his career: the father as guardian of order, brothers and sisters who conspire one moment and tease each other the next, and trust in family ties. His childhood and family life will always remain an important source of inspiration for him.
Watch one of Bill Cosby’s famous sketches below, about Noah’s Ark.
In 2013, he made a comeback as a stand-up comedian on television after 30 years. In 2014, he was supposed to launch a new show via Netflix, but it was canceled after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced.
“I spy”
In 1965, Cosby got a role in “I spy” on NBC. It is the first drama series on television with an African-American actor in the lead role.
Cosby plays an undercover agent who pretends to be a tennis instructor. Cosby wins three consecutive Emmy Awards for his performance, a record that still stands.
Although he is omnipresent on television, Cosby consciously decides not to make any statements about the relationship between blacks and whites at the start of his career. If a white person listens to me and has the same view on the matter, he will conclude that we are equal, is Cosby’s underlying reasoning.
“Fat Albert and the Cosby kids”
For the animated series “Fat Albert and the Cosby kids” (1972-1985), Bill Cosby draws on his youth. Cosby grows up in a poorer neighborhood of Philadelphia. Cosby himself provides various voices for the series. Fat Albert is known for his catchphrase: “Hey, hey, hey!”.
After his conviction in April 2018, VRT NWS made a video with an overview of Cosby’s career and his downfall. You can watch it again below (read on afterwards):
“The Cosby Show” is one of the most popular series of the 80s, with around 30 million viewers each week. Cosby will never match that success again.
At the end of the 90s, the spin-off “Cosby” follows, in which he can again be seen alongside Phylicia Rashad who also played his wife on “The Cosby Show”.
When he is accused of sexual abuse in 2014, rebroadcasts of the popular series are canceled.
“Kids Say the Darndest Things”
In the second half of the 90s, Bill Cosby can be seen in the show “Kids Say the Darndest Things” in which he talks to children, usually between the ages of 3 and 8, who often give hilarious answers to his questions.
Conviction for sexual abuse
In 2018, Bill Cosby is convicted of sexual abuse. He is sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison. Cosby is found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. He was not arrested and charged until 2015, just days before the statute of limitations would have expired.
In the run-up to the trial, some 60 women accused Cosby of sexual abuse. According to witnesses, he has been harassing women since the 1960s. He drugs his victims and then assaults them. Cosby has always maintained his innocence. The conviction has now been overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court due to procedural errors. Cosby has been released from prison. He served two years. In a tweet after his release, he reaffirmed that he has always maintained his innocence. Bill Cosby: From America’s Favorite TV Dad to a Fall From Grace Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
The 83-year-old American comedian Bill Cosby is once again a free man. His conviction for sexual abuse has been overturned due to procedural errors. Cosby became known worldwide for his role in “The Cosby show”. In recent years, his image as “America’s dad” has suffered a serious blow. He was accused of sexual abuse by more than 60 women. His conviction was therefore seen as a victory for the #metoo movement, which denounces sexual violence against women. Who is Bill Cosby?
In 1963, he appeared in “The Tonight Show” on the American NBC. That performance led to a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, where his debut LP “Bill Cosby is a very funny fellow…right!” was released in 1964, the first of a series of comedy albums. Cosby mainly scored with funny anecdotes from his childhood.
The album “To Russell, my brother, whom I slept with” already deals with the themes that will recur throughout his career: the father as guardian of order, brothers and sisters who conspire one moment and tease each other the next, and trust in family ties. His childhood and family life will always remain an important source of inspiration for him.
Watch one of Bill Cosby’s famous sketches below, about Noah’s Ark.
In 2013, he made a comeback as a stand-up comedian on television after 30 years. In 2014, he was supposed to launch a new show via Netflix, but it was canceled after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced.
“I spy”
In 1965, Cosby got a role in “I Spy” on NBC. It is the first drama series on television with an African-American actor in the lead role.
Cosby plays an undercover agent who pretends to be a tennis instructor. Cosby wins three consecutive Emmy Awards for his performance, a record that still stands.
Although he is omnipresent on television, Cosby consciously decides not to make any statements about the relationship between blacks and whites at the start of his career. If a white person listens to me and has the same view on the matter, he will conclude that we are equal, is Cosby’s underlying reasoning.
“Fat Albert and the Cosby kids”
For the animated series “Fat Albert and the Cosby kids” (1972-1985), Bill Cosby draws on his youth. Cosby grows up in a poorer neighborhood of Philadelphia. Cosby himself provides various voices for the series. Fat Albert is known for his catchphrase: “Hey, hey, hey!”.
After his conviction in April 2018, VRT NWS made a video with an overview of Cosby’s career and his downfall. You can watch it again below (read on afterwards):
