After having his sexual assault conviction overturned, Bill Cosby has big plans on reintroducing himself back to the mainstream public.
Andrew Wyatt, a spokesperson for the comedian, says that he and Cosby will collaborate on a new book. Also, Wyatt said that Cosby is working with a production company to produce a five-part documentary about his life and legacy. Upon his release, Wyatt remarked that Cosby will make his return to the comedy circuit and is already taking calls from promoters who are interested in booking the creator of the “Cosby Show.”
“People want to hear and see this guy,” Wyatt told the New York Times. “He can sell-out shows. People want to hear Mr. Cosby. He is loved by millions.”
While Cosby may have millions of supporters, including former co-star Phylicia Rashad who took to Twitter to express her excitement about his release, he will face significant obstacles as he attempts to carve out a new life post-prison.
Because of settlements made with other accusers, mounting attorney’s fees, and the loss of revenue due to networks removing his show from the air, his multi-million dollar fortune had been greatly diminished.
Additionally, he could potentially be the target of more lawsuits, depending on what he says about his accusers in public, said attorney Lisa Bloom, Gloria Allred’s daughter who represented supermodel Janice Dickinson, one of the six Cosby accusers to testify against him at his 2018 trial.
Dickinson separately sued him for defamation after his representatives publicly denied her claims that Cosby raped her back in 1982. While Dickson’s case never went to trial, she did receive “a substantial settlement” according to Bloom.
Cosby will almost certainly encounter his greatest opposition from advocates of women who were sexually abused who regard the overturning of his conviction as a major blow to the #MeToo movement.
"When the system disregards dozens of accusers in a situation like this—because of a technical loophole, not because of the proof that led to sentencing - it creates the perception that it's 'not worth it' for victims to come forward," said a statement from Women in Film, a nonprofit group that advocates for equal opportunity in entertainment.
When the news broke that Cosby would be freed from prison, allies of victims of sexual assault quickly noted that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision was based on a legal technicality and was in no way a pronouncement of Cosby’s innocence.
Time's Up, an organization founded in 2018 after accusations of sexual assault and rape by producer Harvey Weinstein, said Cosby's survivors "came forward with great courage against a powerful man at great personal risk,” when allegations against him became public.
“But let’s be clear, even the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision did not challenge the finding of the jury that Bill Cosby committed sexual assault,” Time's Up Foundation’s CEO and President Tina Tchen wrote in response to the news.
Whatever the future holds for Cosby, it’s safe to say that he will never be the darling of America like he once was. Because of his conviction, at 83-years old, Cosby will now live the rest of his days not as “America’s Dad,” but as a registered sex offender.
