Bill Cosby Sentencing Prompts Massive Reaction
Bill Cosby officially saw his reputation go down the drain on Tuesday, as the man who was once referred to as “America’s Dad” has a new label after a judge labeled him as “sexually violent predator” who will now be forced to serve time in prison.
Back in April, Cosby was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Tuesday afternoon, Cosby found out in a courthouse in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, that he will be serving between three and 10 years in a state prison.
With months between his conviction and sentencing, plenty of celebrities, members of the media, and Cosby’s former accusers have come out to react to the downfall of the once beloved comedian, with the reactions gathered in a report from USA Today.
One of Cosby’s accusers, Kathrine McKee, who was assaulted by the comedian decades ago and sued Cosby for defamation, was grateful that justice had finally been served for Cosby. “I’m grateful to Andrea for standing strong,” said McKee during an interview with CNN. “I suffered for 40-plus years. He’s got three to 10 years. He shows no remorse whatsoever. He’s not sorry at all… I’m glad he was convicted. I’m grateful that the judge has given him this time. I say a prayer for all of us women who have been affected by this through Bill Cosby’s hands.”
A judge sentenced Bill Cosby to serve 3 to 10 years in prison. https://t.co/uAwv8Xb5FB https://t.co/Ai9SnZro0O
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 25, 2018
In the aftermath of Cosby’s sentencing, attorney Lisa Bloom released the statement her client, model Janice Dickinson, planned to read in court during the sentencing.
“The harrowing memory of rape continues to this day,” read the statement. “At one point, I moved to Milan, Italy, to get away (but) the rape is etched into my soul…. I will never be the same.”
The reaction on Twitter included references to the stories that dominated the period of the Cosby case, from the #MeToo movement to the recent effort to get Brett Kavanaugh nominated to the Supreme Court.
“Who said the Universe doesn’t have a sense of humor: amid Trump and the GOP’s defense of Kavanaugh that allegations happened decades ago, Bill Cosby is sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for something that happened decades ago,” said activist Amy Siskind on her twitter.
Writer Wahajat Ali added through a tweet, “Look how many years, how many women, how many stories, how much evidence it took to finally get 1 conviction of a powerful celebrity in the #Metoo era.”
As Cosby faces the possibility of spending the remainder of his life behind bars, he will realize that there is very little support for him in public. In only a few short years a facade that he built as a lovable father on The Cosby Show has been exposed as the lecherous predator that he operated as behind the scenes has tarnished what was once a legacy held in the highest regard.
