TWO NEW BILL Cosby projects have been cancelled by their backers, amid mounting sex-abuse claims against the veteran comedian.
Another allegations against the 77-year-old star emerged in the last 25 hours — this time, from another TV celebrity, model Janice Dickenson.
Dickinson — best known for her judging role on America’s Next Top Model — said on Entertainment Tonight that Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1982.
According to Dickinson, it happened after a dinner they shared in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where she said she had gone to talk about a job offer from Cosby.
At the dinner she said she had red wine and a pill Cosby gave her because she had menstrual and stomach pains.
“The next morning I woke up, and I wasn’t wearing my pajamas, and I remember before I passed out that I had been sexually assaulted by this man,” Dickinson told ET.
She said she woken up with semen between her legs.
Cancelled projects
NBC confirmed today it was scrapping its planned Cosby project in wake of the mounting allegations, according to Associated Press.
The Hollywood Reporter said the comedian had been poised to star in an as-yet-untitled sitcom in which he would play a family patriarch and grandfather.
A planned special on Netflix has been postponed.
“At this time we are postponing the launch of the new stand-up comedy special Bill Cosby 77,” the web-streaming company said in a statement.
People Magazine said the Netflix special was supposed to be a birthday celebration for Cosby, in which he would share stories from his childhood, first romantic relationships and parenthood.
Decades-old claims
Allegations of rape and sexual abuse made against him by several women in recent weeks are tarnishing the public image of the actor, famous for his long TV career, especially his role in the self-titled “Cosby Show” in the 1980s and 1990s.
Cosby’s silent shake of the head on Saturday when asked if he wanted to address the allegations during an interview on US National Public Radio has only intensified the attention focused on him.
In a statement on the veteran comedian’s website, lawyer John Schmitt said Cosby would make no comment on the wave of claims.
Stand-up
Cosby has been at the centre of a storm since comedian Hannibal Buress branded him a “rapist” during a stand-up show in Philadelphia last month.
A scheduled appearance by Cosby on the “Late Show with David Letterman” was cancelled as the entertainer faced a barrage of accusations.
The Washington Post last week published a detailed account by actress Barbara Bowman of alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of Cosby when she was a starry-eyed teenager in 1985.
A total of 13 women who made similar accusations against Cosby have also offered to testify against him, according to US reports.
Includes text from AFP & Associated Press.
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