Are Cosby Abuse Allegations True?

By Beryl Dalton


Decades of breathtaking comedy have earned Bill Cosby envy the world over. However, the roller coaster seems to have halted with constant news about Cosby abuse allegations. The list of accusers keeps growing and including more cities. His father figure, especially based on his campaign to keep black American boys in school, has received thorough beating.

Andrea Constand is the most popular accuser after the court filing in 2005. During the time of her molestation she worked with Temple University women basketball team as their director of operations. According to Andrea, the renowned comic molested her in Pennsylvania in 2004. She further claims that police refused to take her statement. She has opened a flood gate with up to twelve women coming forward with similar accusations.

Tamara Green has accused the actor and comic of drugging her into unconsciousness and groping her. Court papers cite twelve other anonymous women who have come forward to complain. The accomplished comedian maintains that he has never molested any woman.

Beth Ferrier told the Philadelphia Daily News that she was among the anonymous women listed in the Andrea Constand case. She claims to have been sexually assaulted inside a car in Denver back in the 1980s. She also cited drugging before being molested. The story is said to have surfaced in 2005 but lawyers pushed for its withdrawal. In 2006, Andrea settled the case out of court.

Barbara Bowman was an upcoming actress in the 1980. She met the comic who became her mentor. She was assaulted on several occasions in New York City and Reno during the period. This story came to light in December of 2006.

The story hit headlines again in 2014 after Barbara and Tamara had their claims reprinted in Newsweek and Gawker. The media was warming up to Cosby with reruns of his shows, appearance in stand-up comedies and new shows. Netflix was planning a standup appearance on November 28th while NBC was to feature him as a patriarch in an extended family for their new show.

Mark Whitaker wrote a biography entitled Cosby, Life and Times. As a renowned journalist with CNN and Newsweek, it was expected that he would include the allegations, but he did not. He claimed that none of them had been verified in court or by an independent witness. This meant that they did not meet the required threshold.

Buress Hannibal in a comedy show in Philadelphia made a comment that went viral online. This reignited the debate which was later fueled by a publication by Daily Mail of the original accusations by Barbara Bowman. Barbara describes the accomplished comedian as a monster. Despite mentioning the topic several times during his shows, Buress claims that it never caught the attention of the world.

The accusations have seen cancellation of events and shows featuring Cosby. They include appearances at Queen Latifah Show, the Late Night Show with David Letterman and airing of shows at Netflix, TV Land and NBC. Those who have come to his defense include Whoopi Goldberg and Phylicia Rashad, who worked with him back in the years.




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