Bill Cosby's wife of 40 years breaks her silence amid sexual assault claims against the embattled comedian.
Bill Cosby’s wife is breaking her silence.
Camille O. Cosby issued a statement Monday pledging her support to the embattled 77-year-old comedian, her husband of 40 years who in the past few months has been accused by more than 20 women of rape, sexual assault or attempted assault. Bill Cosby has never been charged in any of the cases and has repeatedly denied the allegations.
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In the statement posted by various news outlets, including CBS Evening News and ABC News, Camille calls her husband “a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend,” and fires back at his accusers.
“A different man has been portrayed in the media over the last two months,” she says in the statement. “It is the portrait of a man I do not know. It is also a portrait painted by individuals and organizations whom many in the media have given a pass. There appears to be no vetting of my husband’s accusers before stories are published or aired. An accusation is published, and immediately goes viral.”
She also references the controversial Rolling Stone article about rape at the University of Virginia, some of which has been challenged or questioned by key sources since it was published.
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She then concludes: “None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim. But the question should be asked – who is the victim?”
In an interview on Friday with the New York Post, Bill Cosby addressed the media coverage of his accusers, while declining to speak directly about the allegations.
"Let me say this. I only expect the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that you have to go in with a neutral mind,” he said.
He also talked about Camille, when asked how she was “holding up.” "Love and the strength of womanhood. Let me say it again, love and the strength of womanhood,” he said. “And, you could reverse it, the strength of womanhood and love."
Read Camille’s statement in full below.
I met my husband, Bill Cosby, in 1963, and we were married in 1964. The man I met, and fell in love with, and whom I continue to love, is the man you all knew through his work. He is a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend. He is the man you thought you knew.
A different man has been portrayed in the media over the last two months. It is the portrait of a man I do not know. It is also a portrait painted by individuals and organizations whom many in the media have given a pass. There appears to be no vetting of my husband’s accusers before stories are published or aired. An accusation is published, and immediately goes viral.
We all followed the story of the article in the “Rolling Stone” concerning allegations of rape at the University of Virginia. The story was heart-breaking, but ultimately appears to be proved to be untrue. Many in the media were quick to link that story to stories about my husband – until that story unwound.
None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim. But the question should be asked – who is the victim?
Allegations against the comedian date back to the 1960s, and several alleged victims – including Janice Dickinson, Beth Ferrier, Helen Hayes and Chelan – spoke with ET to tell their stories. Watch Janice’s interview on the ET set below.