Bill Cosby Rape Admission Dismissed: Whoopi Goldberg Declares Cosby ‘Innocent Until Proven Guilty’

Actress and The View host Whoopi Goldberg is staunch in her defense of Bill Cosby this week, despite sworn testimony in which Cosby admits to having attempted drugging women in order to rape them. The statements in which Goldberg declares the ex-national treasure “innocent until proven guilty” have stunned fans and viewers alike, as they come as an unusual response to Cosby’s shocking admissions of guilt.

The developments in the case of Cosby’s accusations of sexual assault have thwarted the arguments made by many of Cosby’s defenders, although Whoopi Goldberg has not been swayed by the testimony.

“I think it’s, again, we’ll see what happens,” Goldberg remarked. “As more information comes out, people can make judgements. I don’t like snap judgements because I’ve had snap judgements made on me so I’m very very careful.”

“Save your texts, save your nasty comments. I don’t care. I say this because this is my opinion, and in America, still, I know it’s a shock, but you are still innocent until proven guilty. He has not been proven.”

Previously sealed court documents were released to the public on Monday, revealing damning evidence against Cosby from a deposition taken in 2005. During the interview, the married father of 5 admitted to having purchased quaaludes, a central nervous system depressant that acts as a sedative, with the intention of dosing women in order to have sex with them.

Although Whoopi Goldberg has held steadfast in the face of critics, her light-hearted remarks surrounding the use of quaaludes appears to have struck an unpleasant chord with many fans of The View.

“As a former quaalude user…” Goldberg shrugged. “I’m sorry, the 80s were a lot of fun.”

While many accept the broad usage of drugs to be a cultural fact of the 80s, many fans were appalled by Goldberg’s attempt to equate elective and consensual use of the drug to the testimony in which Cosby admits to having purchased them with the intention of spiking women’s drinks without their consent.

Following Goldberg’s statements, viewers took to Twitter to express their frustration with what appeared to be a sweeping dismissal of Cosby’s own admission of guilt. As the main demographic of The View, many females felt betrayed by views expressed, electing to boycott the show. Several fans have gone as far as suggesting the show be cancelled altogether.

oh my god: whoopi and raven on the view are still defending Bill Cosby this morning. can we just cancel this show already? it's worthless…

— Kevin Allred (@KevinAllred) July 7, 2015

Whoopi is why #TheView is failing. The biggest Hot Topics are just swept under the rug. #BillCosby is a rapist! Friend of urs or not!

— Michael Jerome (@MichaelJerome82) July 7, 2015

[Image credit: Paul Warner]