Bill Cosby’s Lawyers Fight For New Narrative
Bill Cosby’s legal team is fighting for their embattled client in two courts: the courts of law and public opinion. His lawyers are tasked with trying to salvage the unraveling reputation and net worth of the once-beloved comedian whose support continues to decline, and keeping him out of jail. Monique Pressley, the newest addition to Cosby’s legal defense, defended her client on Good Morning America, according to People.
“There are a thousand-plus pages that are available of Mr. Cosby in his own words, and what we’re seeing so far are headlines that are grabbing one excerpt or two and misinterpreting them.”
While Pressley spoke pages of Cosby’s words that would put his testimony in a fuller context, her colleagues were fighting the release of those pages that would provide that fuller context, according to the New York Times, pointing to a potentially bigger bombshell than what has already been revealed.
Now, his legal team is trying to change the narrative about Cosby as a predatory sex offender to that of simply a promiscuous drug user, saying that Cosby was among many in the 70s to “introduce Quaaludes into their consensual sex life.” In fact, according to Patrick O’Connor, another Cosby attorney, everyone took Quaaludes, according to Time.
As new revelations persist, tales of Cosby’s drug use continue to wreak havoc on the wholesome image of “America’s dad.” As decades-old lines from comedy routines re-emerge in the media, ironically from his comedy album titled, It’s True! It’s True!, friends and colleagues are more surprised by Cosby’s drug use than his extramarital affairs.
Cosby mixed philanthropy and philandering like he mixed his alcohol and Quaaludes, the baby boomers’ Molly, but managed to keep it quiet during his rise to fame. Cosby’s co-star in the 1975 Sidney Poitier flick Let’s Do It Again Jimmie Walker, who calls Cosby “the OJ Simpson of comedy,” confirmed stories that Cosby was a playboy in an interview with Shepard Smith. The Cosby Show cast mate Joseph C. Phillips, who labeled the comedian as a “man with a tremendously flawed character who enjoyed a stellar reputation,” admitted he believes the accusations.
“Bill sleeping around was a ‘fact’ that, like, the air, seemed to just be. You didn’t have to see it or hear it to know that it existed.”
Both, however, denied any knowledge about Bill Cosby’s drug use, drug use he satisfied with seven different prescriptions.
While Bill Cosby maintains he never slipped anyone any drugs without their consent, Quaaludes, the suspected 714 reference in Rick James’ “Super Freak,” were both legal and popular during the time the I Spy actor acknowledges using them. They’ve also become the co-defendant in a never-ending celebrity sex scandal.
Fortunately, Quaaludes are still legal in Mexico with a prescription. If Cosby’s legal situation worsens, he can “pull a Polanski” and cross the border to avoid potential prosecution. Polanski did something similar in the early 80s and still resides in France to this day. Cosby can do the same.
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
