Bill Cosby was renowned as “America’s Dad” after his role as Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show, which made him a household name.
The sitcom was rated as the number one show in America from 1985 through to 1989.
Although he was well loved by fans across the US, his reputation quickly came crashing down after multiple sexual assault claims were made against him, beginning in 2014.
Comedian Hannibal Buress brought claims made against him back into the spotlight during a stand-up routine, which prompted more women to share their stories.
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Keep scrolling to see how Cosby’s downfall unfolded, from an unlikely comedy routine to serving prison time.
The Catalyst
(Image: NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
As part of a stand-up comedy routine back in 2014, comedian Hannibal Buress called out the actor for “raping women” and went on to urge the audience to search the claims on Google and word of his comments spread throughout mainstream media.
USA Today reported that Bill or a representative had tweeted a request for his Twitter followers to “make memes” about him, but the tweet was later deleted after a huge number of “memes” were made referencing the sexual assault allegations.
(Image: NBC via Getty Images)
It later emerged that Cosby allegedly sexually assaulted a large number of women throughout his career and he has been accused by over 60 women for a number of offences, including rape, sexual battery, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment.
The dates of Cosby’s alleged incidents span a huge time frame – from 1965 to 2008 – across ten US states.
Claims Made
(Image: Getty Images)
Some of the most shocking claims include Cosby asking women to come back to his house and subsequently raping them – many women have come forward and shared their claims against the comedian, including the few listed below.
Barbara Bowman claims that Bill offered her a glass of wine that was laced with drugs and raped her at his home in New York, while Louisa Moritz has alleged that Cosby forced oral sex while backstage at The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
(Image: PHOTOlink / MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx)
Tamara Green claimed that while working at Cosby’s restaurant, she fell ill and the comedian offered her a “decongestant” before driving her back to his house and trying to rape her.
Renita Chaney Hill claims that Cosby made her drink beverages that would leave her unconscious until the following day, aged just 15.
She was part of his children’s show Picture Pages and says she has one memory of Cosby kissing her before falling unconscious again.
Lisa Lotte-Lublin testified that Cosby urged her to drink two shots of alcohol, despite her insisting she doesn’t drink, and she woke up in her own bed two days later with no recollection of how she got there.
Janice Dickinson
(Image: Getty Images)
Former model Janice Dickinson claimed to a jury that Cosby raped her in 1982.
The star said that after Bill offered her a pill that he claimed was meant to help with menstrual cramps, Janice was left immobilised.
Dickinson, who has previously appeared on America’s Next Top Model, said that she was “rendered motionless” while in a hotel room where Cosby allegedly got on top of her.
(Image: Getty Images)
Janice said: “I didn’t consent to this. Here was ‘America’s Dad’ on top of me. A married man, father of five kids, on top of me. I was thinking how wrong it was. How very wrong it was.”
The model would have been 27 at the time of the alleged attack and was one of the first women to make public claims against Bill back in 2014.
Janice received a large settlement from Cosby after his lawyer accused her of lying about the assault in court, and she later said: “Truthfully, a settlement is a victory and a measure of justice”, as her lawyer Lisa Bloom confirmed she was “fully compensated for being called a liar”.
Measures Taken
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Bill has repeatedly denied the allegations and has previously refused to discuss the topic in interviews.
A number of organisations severed their involvement with the actor, while the honours and titles, including a number of honorary degrees, were stripped from him once the claims came to light.
Many broadcasters no longer show reruns of The Cosby Show.
(Image: Getty Images)
Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in April 2018 and in September that year, he was sentenced to three to ten years in prison along with fines.
He was released from prison back in 2021 after nearly three years behind bars.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
