As if it were even possible, Bill Cosby’s legacy has become even more sullied. Following the reported release of a deposition from 2005 that suggests the actor and comedian admitted to acquiring Quaaludes in the ‘70s with the intention of using them on women to have sex, Deadline reports Bounce TV has cancelled all reruns of the comedian’s show Cosby, effectively immediately. And in more breaking news, Variety reports BET has reportedly pulled the plug on all reruns of The Cosby Show as well.
This comes months after NBC also cancelled a proposed project with Cosby once the sexual assault claims came flying. A comedy special that was scheduled for Netflix was also pulled, along with several other appearances and projects that were lined up, following the initial hoopla surrounding the allegations. The announcement follows previous cancellations of Cosby’s syndicated programs from other networks, including TV Land.
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Bounce and BET are competitors, both predominantly targeting the African-American demographic. Bounce, founded by Martin Luther King III and Georgia politician Andrew Young, is a multicast network, supported by advertising, that is carried by a number of channels throughout the U.S. The former was running old episodes of Cosby, a follow-up to the massively popular sitcom The Cosby Show, that ran from 1996 through to 2000. The Cosby Show aired from 1984 through to 1992. Centric, which owns BET, said it would pull the show from the lineup starting Wednesday, July 8 “indefinitely.”
The cancellation announcements come after the release of previously sealed documents, which allegedly indicate Cosby’s admission about procuring drugs, reportedly Methaqualone (aka Quaaludes), for the nefarious purpose of taking advantage of women.
Former model Janice Dickenson’s lawyer, Lisa Bloom, called the admission about the drugs a “game changer” – Dickenson is proceeding with a defamation and emotional distress lawsuit against Cosby after he called her claims that he drugged and raped her back in the ‘70s a lie.
In total, more than 40 women have come forward since the allegations first came to light late last year. Cosby has yet to publicly comment on the matter. But the release of the aforementioned documents from 2005 may get the ball rolling, and not in favor of the accused. Legal proceedings aside, the announcement has helped to all but erase the actor’s face from the small screen.
