Samuel L. Jackson on Bill Cosby: I Wish He Would Say Something
Things have been quiet for Bill Cosby the past few weeks, but the sitcom icon — who has been accused of rape and sexual abuse by nearly three dozen women — is back in headlines this week after Samuel L. Jackson decided to weigh in on the scandal.
During a recent appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, Jackson gave his opinion of the Cosby scandal during a game of “Plead the Fifth.”
“I still think that the jury’s out in a certain kind of way, and the jury’s in, in another kind of way. The popular opinion would say that ‘where’s there’s smoke, there’s fire,’” he told host Andy Cohen. “I wish that he would say something. I can’t make a judgment about it. I make my judgment because I have a daughter, I have a wife that I love and I have a lot of women in my life. Women are vulnerable in this society, and people with power take advantage of them.”
Jackson and Cosby have an unexpected connection. The action star was a stand-in for Cosby on The Cosby Show for three years, around the time of his alleged crimes (which reportedly lasted a couple of decades). While Jackson never said he witnessed first-hand any of Cosby's misconduct, he hasn't come forward in defense of the TV icon like some of his other co-stars.
Since the wave of rape allegations, a total of 33 women have come forward with eerily-consistent stories of being drugged and sexually assaulted by the comedian. His recent tour has been plagued with show cancellations and protesters in the audiences, though Cosby has maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal.
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(Photos from left: Ethan Miller/Getty Images,Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
