The activists of the #MeToo movement are in shock. The first celebrity, whose verdict they considered their victory, is released. The court overturned the previous verdict against the 83-year-old African-American comedian Bill Cosby .
American Dad
Cosby for American TV & mdash; star of the first magnitude. He started his career in the 1960s, skillfully avoiding racial contradictions and trying to unite black and white with his jokes. In 1965, having received the main role in the television series “ I & # 39; & # 39; mdash; spy, Bill Cosby became de facto the first black star of American television.
In 1984, the comedy series The Cosby Show, which in the United States was called the most successful television project of the 1980s, was released. For his role as the head of a wealthy African American family, Huxtable Cosby was nicknamed the American Father.
During his career as an actor and musician, he has received several Emmy and Golden Globe awards. and a Grammy, and also became the owner of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In the late 1990s, after her son was killed by a street thief, Cosby began to devote a lot of time to social activities advocating for the empowerment of African Americans and helping the poor.
3.4 million civil suits
The comedian's positive image began to crumble in the early 2000s, when the former athlete and friend Cosby Andrea Konstand accused her of rape. According to the lady, she came to ask Cosby for advice and he offered her a drink, after which Andrea passed out. Taking advantage of her helplessness, the comedian raped her.
The evidence against Cosby was clearly not enough, and then the prosecutor offered her a deal: recognition of certain facts in exchange for refusing to prosecute. After making such a deal, the comedian admitted he was purchasing sleeping pills for women he was planning to have sex with.
In 2006, in a civil lawsuit, Cosby agreed to pay Constand $ 3.4 million, which seemed like the end of the story.
Bill Cosby leaves court after indictment, 2015 Photo: Reuters
The #MeToo campaign brought her back to life. Konstand demanded a new trial, citing the fact that Cosby has gone unpunished and continues to be a positive example for many. The woman demanded to send the rapist to jail.
Three Weird Rapes
Here it should be noted that the comedian's loves were no secret to his colleagues. Cosby hasn't skipped a single skirt since the 1960s, when fame came to him. But he insisted that his relationship with women was purely voluntary. As for drugs, their ladies, he said, took them on purpose.
Of course, you can't believe it, but all is not well with Konstand. The woman was constantly confused in the testimony and then generally stated that she was a lesbian and did not care about men. At the same time, in her own words, she came to Cosby at least three times, each time he gave her sleeping pills and then raped her.
Public opinion was divided. Some believed the victim, others twisted their fingers at the temple, explaining that only an idiot would go to the rapist three times, knowing what he was doing to him.
Will sit
When the story started to unfold again, dozens of other women, whom Cosby crossed paths with over the years of his career, spoke up. They all said the same thing: the artist pulled them to him, gave them sleeping pills, then raped them. Granted, for the other episodes of Cosby, it was impossible to show anything due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Therefore, it all boiled down to considering the story with Konstand.
In September 2018, the #MeToo movement achieved its goal: Cosby was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for three episodes of rape.
As activists rejoiced, calling the verdict a triumph of justice, the comedian did not give up. He said he did not consider himself guilty and that he would fight for his release.
Comic's Revenge
On June 23, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Cosby could appeal the conviction based on the victims' testimony that was more biased than probative. Separately, the court agreed to review the episode with the prosecutor's promise not to prosecute him in 2005.
A year later, on June 30, 2021, it was Cosby's turn to triumph. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction and ordered the artist's immediate release.
The court ruled that the comedian's charge was based on his own testimony given during the case with the prosecutor in exchange for a waiver of prosecution criminal. The new prosecutor, who felt free from the obligations previously given by his predecessor, was not entitled to this step. There was no other convincing evidence that Cosby had used drugs to rape.
“Always defended innocence”
The comedian himself wrote on his social media page: “ I never changed my stance or my story. I have always stood up for my innocence. Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who have supported me in this challenge. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law. & # 39; & # 39;
#MeToo supporters are outraged by Cosby's release, but, objectively speaking, their own tactics are failing them. The desire to support any accusation, even those with a manifestly weak evidence base, compromises fighters against sexual violence. In recent years, there have been numerous instances where the accusations have proven to be downright far-fetched and unsupported by the facts. The audience was starting to get fed up. Cosby's defense tried to avoid emotions and operate only with legal tools. This, in fact, led to the release of the comedian.
While it's not a fact, Cosby would have excelled in defense if he was white. And so in this story, figuratively speaking, the #MeToo campaign overlapped with the BLM, which led to the mutual elimination of public posts and the study of the only facts that played out. in favor of Cosby.
Will the 83 -an active return-to-work comedian ?, unknown. But now he has more than enough material for further performance.