Lisa Bonet Says Bill Cosby Has Had A 'Sinister, Shadow Energy' Since 'The Cosby Show'
Actress Lisa Bonet played Bill Cosby's eldest daughter for years, but she always sensed something dark and sinister in her television father.
In a revealing interview with Net-a-Porter, the bohemian beauty talks about her disgraced costar for the first time, saying that she had no idea of his sexual assault back then.
On Bill Cosby And 'The Cosby Show'
Bonet, 50, stepped into the spotlight for the first time as Denise Huxtable in The Cosby Show. When asked whether the revelations over Cosby's alleged sexual misconduct ruined her memory of the family show, she denies and says she remembers it exactly as she used to.
"There was no knowledge on my part about his specific actions," she recounts but explains that there was a sense of something unsavory lurking in her costar. "There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed."
The occasional actress adds that she can always perceive darkness in other people. If she had known, Bonet explains, she would have said something.
"And if I had anything more to reveal then it would have happened a long time ago," she says. "That's my nature. The truth will set you free."
On Finding Her Passion
Bonet takes the occasional role every now and then, but she lives her life largely out of the spotlight. Even with her family conquering the entertainment industry — Aquaman's Jason Momoa is her longtime partner and new husband, and Big Little Lies' Zoë Kravitz is her daughter with dear friend and ex-husband Lenny Kravitz — she opts to spend her time as a self-described loner in her Southern California estate.
Moving forward, the mother-of-three is still looking for her calling outside of acting.
"Acting is how I've forged my way, but I don't think it's my passion," Bonet admits. "Maybe directing. I write also. I have ideas. There's a movie, a children's TV show, and a documentary short. I feel that I have the soul of an artist, but I don't know yet which medium."
Other Stars On Cosby
Bonet is not the only The Cosby Show star who has spoken up about the comedian.
"It seemed to be common knowledge that Bill played around," Joseph C. Phillips wrote in his blog. "Bill sleeping around was a 'fact' that, like, the air, seemed to just be. You didn't have to see it or hear it to know that it existed ... There was also the seeming unending parade of pretty young women that streamed through the studio."
In the blog post entitled "Of Course Bill Cosby Is Guilty!" Phillips also shared how a former Cosby mentee told him the then-renowned comedian violated her.
Stacey Dash, who played Bonet's best friend on the show, has fond memories of Cosby, initially calling him a "perfect gentleman" and mentor on Twitter. Later on, she took back her statement in an essay on Patheos, saying his "terrible, unspeakable acts" that can't be ignored.
Meanwhile, Tony winner Phylicia Rashad has made it clear that she stands by her television husband. In 2015, she talked to Showbiz411 to say she never saw any hint of Cosby's alleged inappropriate behavior.
"What you're seeing is the destruction of a legacy," Rashad said. "And I think it's orchestrated ... And it's a legacy that is so important to the culture."
