Bill Cosby's daughters shared public statements defending their father, claiming the disgraced comedian has been "publicly lynched in the media" and that "racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal." Cosby goes to trial next month for the alleged sexual assault of Andrea Constand and has been accused by nearly 60 women of alleged sexual misconduct, including assault and drugging. Since the scandal, re-runs of The Cosby Show have been taken off the air, and the once-legendary comedian's legacy has been forever tarnished.
In the audio statements sent to Power105.1's hip-hop morning show The Breakfast Club, Erinn Cosby and Ensa Chalene Cosby expressed their outrage that their father has been found guilty in the court of public opinion before a trial and without any evidence. They also highlight their father's accomplishments and philanthropy in the African-American community while expressing the hardships and trauma their family and children have had to go through during the public scandal.
Notably, Erinn Cosby said her father was "publicly lynched in the media" and that racism was the motivating force behind their quick judgement against him and that he did not get the same legal protections as others do.
Read Ensa Cosby's full statement below:
"I'm a very private person and I've chosen to live my life with my family quietly but for my child, my niece and my nephew, and my father, I can't sit quietly anymore. The man portrayed in the media today is not who my father is. My father is a civil rights activist, my father is an advocate for children. My father is an educator, my father is a philanthropist, my father is an immensely talented and innovated entertainer. His philosophy is that people are good and through effort and self-confidence, each person can make the world better. This is the man who is my father: a visionary whose life and career have focused on love and learning, on creativity and humor. These are the same core values that he has tried to model for me and my siblings, his grandchildren, and for the millions of strangers who encounter his work and advocacy. The accusations against my father have been one sided since the beginning, and when he tried to defend himself he was sued in civil court. I've seen the accusations become more horrific and extreme with time and I have witnessed my father's reputation and legendary work be dismissed without any proof. I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal. How the charges came about being made against him, how people were willing to believe them before they were ever scrutinized or tested. How people who tried to speak to support him or people who questioned the claims were shut down and ignored and not given a voice. How the media created the story and the outcome before any court will ever test the claims. How my father is being punished by a society that still believes black men rape white women but passes off "boys will be boys" when white men are accused and how the politics of our country prove my disgust. My father has been publicly lynched in the media and my family, my young daughter, my young niece and nephew have had to stand helplessly by and watch the double standard or pretending to protect the rights of some but ignoring the rights of others and exposing innocent children to such appalling accusations about someone that they love dearly and who has been so loving and kind to them is beyond cruel."
Read Erinn Chalene Cosby's full statement below:
"Over the last few years my family has been forced to sit by and watch as our father has been attacked in the media and it has been difficult to remain silent to protect our loved ones from the scorn that gossip fueled in the news as big entertainment. But what you hear in the media is a far cry from who our father is. In our early years, our father was not only the type of parent who cared for and guided me and my sibling but he was also a role model. He was generous with his time and resources, helping people in our communities across our country and around the world. In addition to showing that hard work, devotion, and talent can overcome immense obstacles and build a life and career beyond anyone's expectations, my father also taught us the importance of fostering goodness in the world. He has been a tireless advocate for social change, an unwavering philanthropist, and a vocal force encouraging people to strive to achieve their dreams. This is who my father is. My father and I have not always seen eye to eye and I know him like very few people do, and I would be the first to say that the acts of which my father is accused are unthinkable knowing the man who is my dad. What my father and my family had to endure these last few years have made me ashamed of our country today. I cannot understand how our society has permitted my father to be condemned so unjustly and cruelly in the court of public opinion without evidence or proof and with no verdict or judgement. Like the cruel history of our people, the legal system and the protections of the law do not seem to exist for him today. My father's legacy has been tarnished and his livelihood taken from him, yet during this now two-year media frenzy, my father and my family's plight has become a money maker for many trying to capitalize at his expense. I know that people will try to shoot me down for speaking out and by bringing up past criticisms against me and my relationship with my dad to which I say, "I do not care." I love my father and always have and always will. I believe in his innocence and know in my heart how he values me, my family, and the goodness that is in all people. I will never respect or understand a society that allows an accused to be convicted without proof on his or her date in court. It is truly unbelievable."
Listen to full audio of their statements on The Breakfast Club below:
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