Bill Cosby, free but not exonerated, facing an uncertain future

Since Bill Cosby left jail this week after three years in prison, displaying a provocative V sign as he sent a free man home in suburban Philadelphia, discussions from those around him have been festive, as the described his relatives. his first meal of fish and pizza and his determination to rehabilitate his legacy.

His spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, called the court ruling that freed him as a victory for black America and, somewhat incongruously, for women, and ticked off projects Mr Cosby would now be in. involved.

Mr Wyatt said Mr Cosby plans to collaborate with him to write a book and Mr Cosby is working with a production company on a five-part documentary on his life and legacy. He said Mr Cosby, 83, also intended to return to the stage at some point and answered calls from promoters.

People want to hear and see this guy, Mr. Wyatt said. He can sell shows. People want to hear from Mr. Cosby. He is loved by millions.

But the road ahead is unlikely to be so easy for the artist, who is still dragged along by accusations from more than 50 women that he sexually assaulted them.

Experts said they were skeptical that Mr Cosby had a viable path to rehabilitating his career despite the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday overturning his sexual assault conviction.

He’s going to be proactive and seemingly public, but the #MeToo movement is real and strong and will no longer tolerate any public acceptance of him, said Sara Brady, a reputation crisis manager. I don’t think he really has a place to go.

Mr Cosbys’ conviction in 2018 shattered the already tarnished image he once had as honest paterfamilias on the hugely popular 1980s and 90s sitcom The Cosby Show. While Mr Cosby faced charges of sexual misconduct and suffered from ill health, his acting career was already in decline before his arrest in 2015 and two trials later for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling this week overturning Mr Cosby’s conviction in the case found that his due process rights had been violated. The court did not exonerate him but concluded that he had not received a fair trial because some evidence against him was improperly gathered. He relied on a promise a former district attorney made never to prosecute him in the Constand case in exchange for his testimony in a related civil case.

Mr Cosby has always maintained his innocence, describing his meeting with Ms Constand as consensual. But for the many women who accused him, and for the many people who believe them, there remains a man of rights who beat the odds thanks to a good lawyer.

The public has no appetite for a Bill Cosby comeback, said Risa Heller, a crisis consultant who advised disgraced former Rep Anthony Weiner. I don’t think there are ways for Bill Cosby to restore confidence.

In the civil case, brought by Ms Constand in 2005 before her criminal case, Mr Cosby sat for days of testimony in which he said he was not a sexual predator, but presented himself as a unapologetic playboy and cavalier and admitted to giving women Quaaludes. he was suing for sex, but not without their knowledge.

Parts of this testimony appeared in the criminal trial. And considering Mr Cosbys’ appeal, the Supreme Court justices concluded that he only agreed to be impeached because he believed his statements could not be used against him in connection with ‘a criminal prosecution.

A lawyer who represented seven of the women accusing Mr Cosby of sexual assault, Joseph Cammarata, insisted that Mr Cosby’s legal victory did not represent the justification the artist was seeking. Cosby can say he is innocent, but the Supreme Court has not dismissed the claims of 60 women, or the women who testified at trial that they were assaulted by Cosby, and it has not dismissed the verdict of the jury that he was guilty on all counts, Mr Cammarata said.

Until his release, Mr. Cosby was inmate NN7687 at SCI Phoenix, a maximum security facility located approximately 45 minutes from Philadelphia. Because he is legally blind, he was often helped by inmate guards, and even from prison he tried to maintain some sort of public profile, often posting on social media about racism, the accomplishments of the others and the memorable moments of his career.

Mr. Cosby looked frail and was walking slowly when he returned home to his Elkins Park mansion on Wednesday. He later came out to face the media, his fans and the protesters, but Mr. Wyatt and his lawyers spoke for him. On Thursday, he left his home to meet friends and reunite with his wife, Camille.

Charles Kipps, a producer and writer who worked with Mr Cosby in the early 1990s, said it was up to the public, not the experts, to decide whether Mr Cosby should resume his career.

He has every right to try it, Kipps said. It remains to be seen if he can overcome all of this on stage.

Another supporter, actress Phylicia Rashad, who appeared as Mr. Cosby’s wife on The Cosby Show, celebrated her newfound freedom on Wednesday by declaring on Twitter, FINALLY !!!! A terrible wrong is righted, a miscarriage of justice is corrected!

But she wrote later: I fully support survivors of sexual assault who come forward. My post was in no way intended to be oblivious to their truth.

Perhaps this showed how difficult it could be for Mr Cosby to get support in the future.

He was not exonerated in the court of public opinion, said Zakiya Larry, head of strategic communications and crisis mitigation. Cosby’s team would do well to take a huge step back, press pause, and speak publicly about rehabilitating Cosby himself first.

If comedy theaters or TV studios choose to work with him at this point, it would be more for shock value than anything else, Ms Larry said, adding: Others who are reputable wouldn’t hit him with a 10 foot post on the right. now.

the SFJazz Center, the site of the 2014 recording of his Netflix stand-up special, which was ultimately canceled due to the sexual assault allegations, said he didn’t want him.

I can say with certainty that he would not be performing at SFJazz in the future, I can say that without any hesitation, said Greg Stern, its general manager.

While The Cosby Show can still be aired, Rich Cronin, a former TV executive and founder of TV Land, known for his nostalgic reruns, said he would be shocked if the networks started broadcasting it again. (TV Land, owned by ViacomCBS, pulled reruns of The Cosby Show in 2014, amid allegations of sexual assault.)

There would be a major boycott of TV Land or any other network that wants to start broadcasting Cosby again, he said. Networks aim to attract as many viewers and advertisers as possible, so they stay away from controversy.