Phylicia Rashad Backtracks on Bill Cosby Praise: I Support Survivors [Photos] | lovebscott.com

Phylicia Rashad Backtracks on Bill Cosby Praise: I Support Survivors [Photos]

After Phylicia Rashad ignited a social media firestorm with a tweet celebrating Bill Cosby’s release from prison, the former Cosby Show star and incoming university dean is attempting to defuse the situation.

via: Page Six

The former “Cosby Show” star is backtracking on comments she made earlier Wednesday, in which she celebrated Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction being overturned.

“I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth,” Rashad, 73, tweeted.

“Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.”

The statement came hours after she previously tweeted a photo of Cosby, writing, “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!”

While some fans told Rashad she has a right to her own “experience and opinion,” others pointed out that true “healing” — as she said in her tweet — requires justice.

“He confessed!!!!” one person wrote. “Only off on a technicality. You are so wrong on so many levels. Wow! Re-examine your values.”

Cosby, 83, had his sexual assault conviction thrown out Wednesday — in a stunning ruling by Pennsylvania’s highest court that found a prosecutor’s decades-old agreement should have shielded him from criminal charges. He only served two years of a three- to 10-year sentence.

In its 79-page ruling, the State Supreme court found that an agreement with then-Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor Jr. prevented Cosby from being charged for allegedly drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004.

Several people also pointed out to Rashad on Twitter how her remarks were irresponsible given she was recently named dean of Howard University’s Fine Arts department.

“The level of disgust I have right now is overwhelming,” a user tweeted. “Right now there is a Howard Fine Arts student who has spent the entire summer trying to decide whether to file a complaint on their rapist when they return to campus and they see this from their new dean. #BillCosbyIsARapist”

Cosby has been accused by sixty women of rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, or other sexual misconduct. There were also two instances of alleged child sexual abuse, both involving girls 15 years of age.

Rashad played Cosby’s on-screen wife, Claire Huxtable, on “The Cosby Show.”

Sometimes you just gotta leave stuff for the group chat.

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