Bill Cosby: Comedian Has No Plans To Stop Touring As Allegations, Protests Mount

Bill Cosby took the stage in Denver to applause on Saturday night; the latest show for the comedian who vows to continue on in his career despite mounting allegations of rape.

Cosby has remained defiant, denying the allegations even as his number of accusers reaches more than 30.

Entertainment industry experts believe it could signal a last-ditch attempt by Bill Cosby to preserve the reputation he built over the course of six decades.

“When you look at the way Bill Cosby has just continued to perform,” Variety co-editor-in-chief Andrew Wallenstein told CBS News, “it suggests either that he’s kind of tone deaf to what is going on here or simply chosen to persevere in hopes that perhaps he could beat this by just hanging in there.”

Bill Cosby has been particularly vocal about his latest accuser, 24-year-old Chloe Goins. She claimed that Cosby sexually assaulted her at a party at the Playboy Mansion in 2008, but Cosby said he can prove that he was in New York at the time.

Wallenstein mused about what would happen if all the accusations turned out to be false.

“That would be positively tragic for Bill Cosby,” Wallenstein said. “On the other hand, in the court of public opinion, it almost doesn’t matter. It’s as if there’s been so much smoke, it’s the same thing as fire.”

Cosby also responded to Goins’ allegation by reiterating that he has no plans to stop his career, saying that the show in Denver would go on.

“Dear Fans: I have thousands of loyal, patient and courageous fans that are going to leave their homes to enjoy an evening of laughter and return home feeling wonderful. I’m ready! I thank you, the theatre staff, the event organizers and the Colorado Community for your continued support and coming to experience family, fun entertainment.”

The allegations against Bill Cosby are nothing new. For years, women have accused him of drugging and raping them, including more than a dozen who came forward in 2004 to be part of a sexual assault case that was eventually settled out of court. But at the time, many in Hollywood and the media seemed to ignore the allegations.

Now that is changing as well. Director Judd Apatow has lashed out against Cosby, saying that he should no longer be touring.

“People who commit these acts should be in prison,” Apatow said. “I’m not comfortable with him running around the country doing stand-up like nothing’s happening.”

NBC has also cut ties with Bill Cosby, canceling a planned project with the comedian. On Friday, the network’s entertainment chairman, Robert Greenblatt, said he is “glad that we’re out from under that.”

While Bill Cosby may be trying to continue his career, many doors in the entertainment industry are slamming shut. Some venues have canceled shows, and Greenblatt said that NBC will never be working with Cosby again.