Embattled Comedy Legend Bill Cosby Returned To Stand-Up Comedy Before Retrial
Monday, Jan. 22, marked a day that comedy fans never thought they would see: Bill Cosby returning to the world of stand-up comedy.
Cosby's Big Comeback?
Mr. Cosby's camp issued a press release announcing that the comedy icon returned to the stage at the Larose Jazz Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cosby shared the Larose Jazz Club stage with the Tony Williams Jazz Quartet as a special treat to his fans.
The comedy concert showcased Mr. Cosby telling stories to a small group of attendees. The comedian shared stories and admitted that he would be rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl.
A Retrial Approaches
While Cosby took the stage, prosecutors were hard at work preparing for an upcoming retrial against the Cosby Show creator. The Philadelphia prosecutors are looking to call back some of the 19 women that accused Mr. Cosby to use as character witnesses.
The prosecutors hope that they could use Cosby's victims to showcase a pattern of abysmal behavior that started back when Cosby first came into American households in the 1960s.
The women could rally around former Temple University basketball player Andrea Constand. Constand filed a lawsuit against the Kids Say The Darnest Things host regarding an incident that happened in 2004. She accused Cosby of raping her while she was at his home. Cosby was charged on Dec. 30, 2015, with a second-degree felony of aggravated incident assault.
The case went to court, and after weeks of testimony, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The case was declared a mistrial in June 2017. However, the prosecutors were not happy with the jury's decision and decided to pursue Cosby again.
The jury selection for the retrial is expected to begin on March 29.
Other Fallen Media Figures
While Cosby continues to prepare for another legal battle, other media heavyweights have experienced a fall from grace following similar sexual misconduct allegations.
Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein continues to be the primary focus of the Hollywood sexual misconduct scandal. Throughout his career, Weinstein allegedly sexually assaulted over 84 women that include Mina Sorvino, Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Salma Hayek.
Actors including Kevin Spacey and James Franco have also faced sexual misconduct allegations. The scandal also hit several high-profile morning news and talk shows as Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, and Mario Batali were all terminated from their positions.
The sexual misconduct scandal also led to the revivial of the #MeToo Movement and the creation of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund.
