Keshia Knight Pulliam Returns To TV To Explain Her Defense Of Bill Cosby During His Rape Trial


Actress Keshia Knight Pulliam has refused to turn her back on Bill Cosby, the man who made her a household name, and who is, incidentally, currently awaiting the verdict of his career-damaging rape trial.

Writers for Page Six note that The Cosby Show alum and recent first-time mom, 38, appeared on Today early Wednesday to publicly promote her support for the 78-year-old comedian and producer, after first being photographed with a beaming Bill Cosby at the start of his sexual assault trial last week.

“It was important for me to be there because at the end of the day,” Pulliam stated on the morning program, “I truly believe you’re innocent until proven guilty, and that’s just not the man that I ever experienced.”

That version of Cosby, as Keshia alluded to on Today, reportedly stands accused of drugging Andrea Constand in 2004, and molesting the then-Temple University student, once the alleged substance overwhelmed Constand.

As CNN shared, Constand’s version of what Cosby supposedly did to her while on prescription Quaaludes in 2004, which was revealed in documents from a 2005 deposition, mirrored that of nearly 60 other women’s experiences with the entertainer between 1965 and 2008, according to Rolling Stone.

“Though the iconic actor and comedian [didn’t] testify [during trial],” the music magazine writes, “Constand [offered] her account [on stand] of what happened that day in 2004, when she claims Cosby gave her three blue oblong tablets at his home and then proceeded to molest her while she was immobilized.”

“Cosby has [since] denied drugging Constand; though he has admitted to sexual contact between the pair, but as part of a consensual relationship. Constand has denied Cosby’s explanation, [ultimately] telling police, ‘We were not involved in any romantic relationship.'”

Initially expected to last two weeks, closing arguments were reached in less than a day on June 12 after Cosby’s lawyers failed to offer up any witnesses to speak in the actor’s defense (as previously stated, Cosby himself also chose not to testify). Trial jurors were said to have started the third day of deliberations on Wednesday.

Bill Cosby and former “Cosby kid” Keshia Knight Pulliam were all smiles at the start of the actor’s rape trial on June 5 in Pennsylvania. [Image by Mark Makela/ Stringer/Getty Images]

Pulliam went on to proclaim in her Today interview that should Cosby be found guilty of rape, she’ll reassess her feelings about her former television father after the trial and not a moment before, as much as the public appears to have already done.

“I’m going to have to just cross that bridge when I come to it. I’ll be disappointed, however, it won’t change the love,” the actress relayed.

“When you have family, people falter, people make mistakes, things happen, but in no way is that condoning sexual assault.”

Pulliam’s last role, on TV One’s Here We Go Again, occurred in 2016. The actress’ conversation on Today regarding the Bill Cosby rape trial can be viewed below.

[Featured Image by Mark Makela/Stringer/Getty Images]

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