UPDATE (Wednesday, Nov. 19, 8:20 p.m.): A third television network has decided to sever all ties with Bill Cosby following the comedian’s growing sexual assault scandal. Effective immediately, TV Land has decided to cease airing repeats of the much-beloved The Cosby Show.
Two marathon showings of the comedy — scheduled for Thanksgiving and Christmas — have also been canceled by the network, and episodes available for streaming on TV Land’s website are now inaccessible.
The show is, however, still being shown on BET and through the streaming services of Amazon and Hulu. As of Wednesday, neither BET, Amazon or Hulu announced a cancelation of the show.
TV Land’s decision comes after NBC and Netflix both distanced themselves from upcoming projects with the comedian.
UPDATE (Wednesday, Nov. 19, 4:10 p.m.): CNN host Don Lemon has apologized for last night’s downright embarrassing interview with publicist Joan Tarshis, who has publicly accused Bill Cosby of drugging and raping her. Lemon became a laughingstock on social media for the interview, in which he asked Tarshis why she didn’t use her teeth “as a weapon”; when Cosby allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him.
“A word about my interview last night with Cosby accuser Joan Tarshis,”; said Lemon on the air today. “As I am a victim myself, I would never want to suggest that any victim could have prevented a rape. If my question to her struck anyone as insensitive I am sorry as that certainly was not my intention.”
Lemon has previously been mocked for some of his on-air statements, including his theory that something “supernatural”; may have been behind the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.
On the plus side, however, his gaffe resulted in the Twitter hashtag #DonLemonReporting and hilarious tweets such as these:
When Germany invaded Poland, what was Poland wearing? Was it drunk? Was it begging for it? #DonLemonReporting
— JRehling (@JRehling) November 19, 2014
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When life hands you lemons, Don Lemon blames you for taking them. #DonLemonReporting
— Paul Myers (@pulmyears) November 19, 2014
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You see? This is why you never hear of a shark being raped. Think about it. #donlemonreporting pic.twitter.com/RkAmig1sFa
— frederick calalang (@phredcal) November 19, 2014
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UPDATE (Wednesday, Nov. 19, 1:46 p.m.): NBC has decided not to move ahead with the new Bill Cosby-starring sitcom that was to have debuted next season, and “sources familiar with the situation”; have told the Vulture website that the sitcom is now dead. “Calls have gone out to the creative partners involved in the project (including co-producer Sony Pictures Television) informing them of the decision,”; reports Vulture, “which had been expected in recent days as more women came forward charging Cosby with sexual misconduct and rape.”; While reps for NBC and Sony could not be reached for comment, Vulture theorizes NBC is likely to announce the project is “on hold”; or “on hiatus,”; which is TV-speak for “cancelled.”; Adds Vulture: “Barring a massive change in the Cosby narrative, his NBC show isn’t happening.”;
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In light of the snowballing scandal and increasing number of women who’ve come forward to accuse Bill Cosby of rape, the once-beloved sitcom star’s new comedy special has been postponed indefinitely.
The standup special, recorded on Cosby’s 77th birthday, was slated to debut on Nov. 28 on Netflix, but yesterday a decision was made to delay the broadcast for the time being.
“At this time we are postponing the launch of the new standup comedy special Bill Cosby 77,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement. A rep for Cosby characterized the decision to delay the special as mutual for both Netflix and Cosby.
Netflix’s move follows shocking allegations from former supermodel Janice Dickinson, who told Entertainment Tonight that the comedy icon drugged and raped her during his Cosby Show days. Recalling the incident, Dickinson remembers Cosby giving her a glass of wine and a pill to ease the pain of her menstrual cramps “before I passed out… [and] had been sexually assaulted by [Cosby].”;
The mounting allegations also appear to be jeopardizing Cosby’s plans for a new NBC sitcom that was to have debuted next season, with the network reportedly getting cold feet in light of the rape accusations.
Meanwhile, the unearthing of an old standup routine is proving to be embarrassing to the 77-year-old comedian. In “Spanish Fly,”; a cut from Cosby’s 1969 comedy album It’s True! It’s True!, he discusses his desire to slip an aphrodisiac into a woman’s drink so he can have his way with her. Listen:
