Raven-Symoné Recognizes Bill Cosby’s TV Impact While Condemning Assault Allegations

Raven-Symoné recently spoke about Bill Cosby, saying she separates his contributions to television from the se***** assault allegations against him. The former Cosby Show star made the comments on the “Hate to Break It to Ya” podcast.

“Separate the creator from the creation,” Symoné said. “And that’s just where I live. The creation changed America. Changed television.”

She also acknowledged the seriousness of the accusations against Cosby. “He’s also been accused of some horrific things,” she added. “That does not excuse, but that’s his personal [life]. So personally, keep that there, and then business-wise, know what he did there as well. Like you said, both can live, and I think our culture is right to…don’t do wrong. Don’t do wrong personally. You just can’t do wrong.”

Symoné played Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show from 1989 until the series ended in 1992. Cosby co-created the show in 1984 and starred as Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable. The sitcom won six Emmy awards and aired for 197 episodes, becoming a major influence on American television.

Cosby first faced s***** assault allegations in 2004 from Andrea Constand, but the accusations became widely publicized in 2014. That year, Barbara Bowman, who supported Constand’s civil case, wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post titled, “Bill Cosby r**** me. Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story?”

In the following years, dozens of women came forward with similar allegations. Cosby was ordered to stand trial in 2016, and his 2017 trial ended in a mistrial. He was convicted in a 2018 retrial on three counts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.

In 2021, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overturned the conviction due to a previous agreement with Montgomery County prosecutor Bruce Castor, which prevented prosecution if Cosby gave a deposition in Constand’s civil case.

Symoné’s comments show a distinction between Cosby’s work in entertainment and his personal actions. She emphasizes that while his personal behavior was wrong, his contributions to television had a lasting impact.

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