ONCE ‘AMERICA’S TV dad’ — Bill Cosby is being steadily frozen out of the US entertainment establishment this week, amid continuing controversy over decades-old sexual abuse claims.
In the last few days, Netflix and NBC have both pulled out of new Cosby-related projects.
Another broadcaster — TV Land — has also scrapped all reruns of The Cosby Show.
Allegations of rape and sexual abuse made against the star by several women in recent weeks are tarnishing the public image of the actor, famous for his long TV career, especially his role in his self-titled sitcom in the 1980s and 1990s.
In the latest claim, TV celebrity and former model Janice Dickenson said she had been drugged and sexually assaulted by the comedian in 1982.
In the midst of all this, news wire Associated Press has released previously unseen footage of the star (above).
It’s taken from an interview Cosby was taking part in to promote a Smithsonian art exhibition and was recorded earlier this month, as the controversy was still bubbling-under.
“No, no, we don’t answer that,” the comedian tells the (slightly nervous-sounding) reporter.
“There’s no response,” he adds.
The reporter tries another angle, but again..
“There is no comment about that.”
And I’ll tell you why. I think you were told. I don’t want to compromise your integrity but we don’t – I don’t – talk about it.
Things get incredibly tense once the cameras stop rolling, as the star tries to strong-arm the journalist — roping in off-screen publicists to help out..
TRANSCRIPT:
Cosby: Now can I get something from you?
Reporter: What’s that?
Cosby: That none of that will be shown?
Reporter: I… I can’t promise that, myself, but you didn’t say anything…
Cosby: I know I didn’t say anything, but I’m asking your integrity that since I didn’t want to say anything, but I did answer you, in terms of ‘I don’t want to say anything’ — of what value will it have?
Reporter: I don’t think it will have…
Cosby: (Speaking to publicist) Mam? What’d you say?
AP Reporter: Sorry?
Cosby: What did you say?
Publicist: I don’t think it has any value either.
Cosby: And I would appreciate it if it was scuttled.
Reporter: I hear you. I will tell that to my editors and I think that they will understand…
Cosby: I think if you want to consider yourself to be serious that it will not appear anywhere.
Reporter: Okay. I appreciate what you’ve asked.
Cosby: Thank you… And we thought, by the way, because it was AP, that it wouldn’t be necessary to go over that question with you.
Reporter: I know. And we haven’t written about this at all in the past two months, but they want, my bosses wanted me to ask.
Cosby: If you will just tell your boss the reason why we didn’t say that upfront was because we thought that AP had the integrity to not ask.
Publicist: One other point on that: One of the three major TV writers for the AP in Los Angeles called me up, and asked me [...] and I said we’re not addressing it. So she said fine, and she just closed it off.
Reporter: Okay
Cosby: (to publicist, again) And I think you need to get on the phone with his person immediately.
Publicist: I will, okay.
The interview was on the record. AP says it made no agreement to avoid questions about the allegations, or to withhold publishing any of his comments at any time.
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