In mid-October, Hannibal Buress reminded the world of the Cosby rape allegations. An empire has crumbled in the aftermath, but Camille Cosby remained a silent cheerleader for her husband. She sat by and fondly gazed at Bill as he tried to silence a journalist. Bill praised Camille’s “strength of womanhood” as he tried to make the whole scandal about race, not rape. It all rings incredibly false in the face of the whole timeline of accusations.
We don’t know what Cosby has put Camille through over the decades. She could be brainwashed, or she could be aware and terrified. There’s no way to tell. Camille has chosen to break her silence with a letter to defend her man.
Statement of Camille O. Cosby
I met my husband, Bill Cosby, in 1963, and we were married in 1964. The man I met, and fell in love with, and whom I continue to love, is the man you all knew through his work. He is a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend. He is the man you thought you knew.
A different man has been portrayed in the media over the last two months. It is the portrait of a man I do not know. It is also a portrait painted by individuals and organizations whom many in the media have given a pass. There appears to be no vetting of my husband’s accusers before stories are published or aired. An accusation is published, and immediately goes viral.
We all folowed the story of the article in “Rolling Stone” concerning allegations of rape at the University of Virginia. The story was heart-breaking, but ultimately appears to be proved to be untrue. Many in the media were quick to link that story to stries about my husband — until that story unwound.
None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a victim. But the question should be asked — who is the victim?
[From CBS Evening News on Twitter]
I knew someone would use the UVA story like this. Camille pointed a finger towards the poorly researched Rolling Stone article on UVA as a reason why she feels all 30+ women are lying about her husband’s wrongdoings. Rolling Stone tried to backtrack, but it was way too late. The damage was done. Their mistake has set back progress for rape victims many years.
Camille sees her husband as the true victim. Because he’s hilarious. Because a journalist messed up. Because, in Camille’s eyes, all of these women are making stuff up to hurt Bill Cosby, the victim. Big sigh.
Here’s another chunk of Cosby news. Beverly Johnson, who wrote a powerful essay about being drugged by Cosby, paid a visit to The View. That’s amazing in more ways than one. First, Beverly’s not afraid to continue to tell her story. Second, she knew Whoopi Goldberg would say some terrible things. Dealing with Whoopi’s “It wasn’t rape-rape” mindset is a whole other level of revulsion.
Whoopi lived up to her reputation as a Polanski apologist and a Cosby defender. Beverly elaborated on her experience by saying Cosby’s drug hit her “like a moving train.” She woke up the next morning, and “I felt such a loss. It was like I lost a family member. I felt such a sense of disappointment. I was devastated. I didn’t really know what happened. I was numb.” Whoopi couldn’t hide her disbelief as she grilled Beverly. Here’s a clip from The View.
Photos courtesy of WENN
“We all folowed the story fot he article”
Is this verbatim? If so, it’s like she was writing it on the cusp of succumbing to a roofie.
Oh man..I just laughed way too hard at that. Shame on you 😉
Beverly Johnson is awesome and brave for not letting Whoopi intimidate her.
LOL!
Oprah has been his good friend for years and I wonder if she is going to make any public statment regarding his acusasions . Also she is very close with Beverly, she have done some type of show on OWN network
Oh, now I get it 😀
I find it interesting that they followed the rape story at UVA. It’s not unusual for rapist to read/watch stories of other rapes.
Hell, even a serial killer/rapist worked for a rape crisis helpline.
In all honesty though, this has been a very “public” story. I do think Cosby is guilty, but I don’t think that is evidence of anything in and of itself.
LOL
The more damage do control they do, the worse it gets. Having Camille issue a nondenial denial shows how low Cosby will sink on this.
Camille can STFU and Whoopi can join her.
I’m so proud of Beverley and the other victims who are speaking up, they’re giving many other victims (and not just Cosby’s victims) a lot of strength and hope.
I’m holding out judgement until Oprah interviews her and I can watch her expressions.
Whoopi and Camille are two very different bags of potatoes.
Whoopi is being her usual contrarian self. She is a born skeptic, loves to be on the minority side of every argument and often forgets that there are actual people affected by the words she speaks. Shes selfish, loves the spot light and rarely learns her facts. Thats Whoopi
Camille is a woman who has been married to a sociopath for 50 years. if Janice friggin Dickinson was too scared of Cosby to speak up despite having a career of her own, money, fame, powerful friends and the right skin color, why are you surprised that Camille was too. Why would you think that this man can bully complete strangers into doing his bidding but not somebody he has had under his thumb since 1963. Whatever those women went through, it is NOTHING compared to what Camille has lived through. I
Is it possible that Camille is some kind of equal partner in that marriage (haahaha), was not living in awe of his popularity and power (aha!) and enabled Cosby? Sure, its possible but highly improbable.
Why do you say that it’s improbable? I’m asking seriously. Look at Jerry Sandusky’s wife who stood idly by while the screams of children being raped emanated from her basement. She had to know something. Camille’s husband was busy raping people in *her own home.* It seems awfully likely that she would’ve known something- allegations have been made for decades now. If she was/is living in awe of his money and power, that’s her fault, not his.
Just witness how many women will state that they told their mother they were being raped/molested by mom’s boyfriend or husband only to have mom choose the man over them (June Boo Boo, I’m looking at you). I think we go a bit overboard in assuming the women are always victims when in fact they are often aware that something…something is horribly wrong. And sadly, they frequently choose on behalf of themselves, not on behalf of the welfare of the children or other women involved. I’ll assume nothing until I can see her and judge her mental state and attendant motivations for myself.
Camille reminds me of Sandusky’s wife. She’s going to help circle the wagons on her husband’s side and continue to protect the gravy train.
Circle the wagons folks. Everybody knows that behind every despicable man there is a scheming sociopathic woman, right?
I dont know about Dotty Sandusky, I didnt follow that case closely enough to make any definitive judgement on her. I DO know that if BC did indeed put the fear of God in all his victims, it is unreasonable and cruel to assume that he did not do the same to his wife and that she is not still currently living under that spell.
This mans entire life has been built on appearances and I cant see a man like that letting his wife, the woman on whom his illusion of perfect family man is built, simply walk away. I fully expect one day we will hear about the emotional, psychological and most likely physical abuse this woman endured. People who are complete strangers to a situation can take glee in looking in from the outside and pretending that they could have done better under the same circumstances, but we will never know.
What we do know is that she couldnt have stayed for money because the courts were bound to give her a comfortable settlement anyway. She never sought the limelight so it wasnt in pursuit of fame either. That leaves a number of options, the most likely being she has spent half a century living in fear, she has normalised her disfunctional life because she knows nothing else.
Brandii, He sold out his own flesh and blood to kill a story about him to/in the National Enquirer, FFS. He was willing to publicly humiliate his own daughter about her substance abuse issues in order to deflect from rape allegations. What vulnerability or shame might he be holding over Camille’s head? Maybe nothing, maybe she is brain-washed, maybe she is stockholmed, maybe she is a sociopath, a selfish woman, or in deep denial, maybe….whatever. Maybe a combination of all of the above. But it’s pretty low stooping when you can throw your own kid under the bus to save your own skin. Mr. Huxtable, my ass.
Dr, Huxtable and Mr. Hide?
Camille, I can understand. That is pure denial to me – who wants to believe they’re married to a rapist? And he’s a natural entertainer. Who knows how manipulative that charm is behind doors.
It’s Whoopi that’s just completely off putting to me. There’s no excuse for her behavior and ignorance.
+1
The level of denial is self preservation. To believe they married a monster like that. That all those times they pushed down that part of them that wanted to question his behavior. It’s more powerful than people think.
And Whoopi is awful. Her ignorance is amazing and she needs to be removed from tv.
I agree, Veronica. It is very interesting to me that she uses singular “who is the victim” instead of acknowledging the many, many claims by saying “who are the victims”.
Also, her statement seems so certain for someone who is supposed to be doubtful. I am surprised she didn’t say “who are the people who claim to be victims?” or “who are the alleged victims”.
Some women are desperate to define themselves as a “wife” with a “hussssband” . These women feel flawed unless they are in a solidly defined paradigm, and we usually see this in Camille’s generation. I suppose because of this ingrained dependence they gradually accept the unacceptable until they are publicly defending a rapist.
BC = Sociopath
Camille’s been living with this sicko so long she doesn’t know what TRUTH is. Very common in these cases.
Yep. He is such a manipulator that I have no doubt she believes every word she wrote. He has probably convinced her it’s a “them against the world” type of deal, which can be intoxicating for some.
Right, her words strike me as someone who’s deeply deluded.
are they even her words or did cos write them up and have his lawyers or pr people release them to the press in her name? if he’s done half the things he’s accused of, he wouldn’t think twice about writing up his wife’s statement or coaching her in what to say.
As journey says, i wonder if these are her words. As i was reading through it I thought it sounded very crafted, very measured. I doubt she wrote it.
I think BC comes across as a bully (he especially showed his true colours in that interview he did where he tried to get the interviewer to agree not to air questions about the rapes). BC really buried himself in that little exchange, because it showed his bullying, manipulative personality.
I highly doubt that BC and his wife are equal players in this. It seems more likely (from her body language) that she is either burying her head in the sand and is totally submissive to him, or has been manipulated and bullied by him too.
I can’t think of to many occasions where a person has been shown to be a rapist/bully/lyer/manipulator in public, and where this behaviour hasn’t bled over into their private lives. For example, Ted Bunson had intimate relationships with women that were very, very strange. His friends and the wider community were fooled by his charming persona, but the people closest to him (his partners) knew that he was a sick puppy.
So, I think it’s unlikely that BC’s wife doesn’t, to some degree, know what is going on, even though he may have fooled friend and the wider community.
I agree with Emma completely! So many women (myself included) have been victimized by being drugged and sexually assaulted, and not believed! I am very glad that this story is in the media. While I was glued to my TV screen, I watched in tears as Beverly Johnson stated on The View that this is not about Cosby, but about all the victims. Real women, brave women, have come forward. I, too, would like to see Camille speak on camera. Women have blamed themselves since the beginning of time. No More, Cosby! NO MORE!!
I think the truth has been knocking on her door for years and she just refuses to answer. He’s been accused for years and allegedly paid out settlement money too. For all the socializing he did at the Playboy Mansion and at various dinners & parties without his wife over the years, Camille was wearing blinders not to notice that something had to have been going on. What a great lifestyle this man has given her and she’s looked the other way on MANY an occasion to help maintain her own “I married a prince” fable. I feel sorry for her because one day she’s going to have to confront her own denial and it’s going to hurt like 10 tons of sh** falling on her head. (Or … version 2.0 … she fully knows and don’t curr! )
I think Whoopie is contrarian by nature. I’ve never watched the View but from everything I hear reported about her she goes out of her to take the least expected position on everything. If we were all backing Cosby on this trust me she would be pushing hard against him. I doubt she even know what she believes, she is just a reactionary at her core.
Yeah, but her contrary nature is always pointed in the same direction.
Oh please understand that I am not defending her. If I am right she is trapped in her 13 year old self, where she thinks herself as the savior of the underdog. I’ld like to know how she feels about women like that Casey Anthony before I can judge whether she is driven by an internalised misogyny.
@Lilliputian, I’m sorry if I sounded like I was insulting you. I really didn’t mean that. I’m glad to hear alternative perspective because sometimes it helps to change my opinion. My response was only a gut reaction to that thought and not intended to be adversarial to you. I hope that made sense.
If it was a women who had assaulted a man, she would take the man’s side.
That’s the key–she always sides with men.
Always.
True. There’s some underlying psychological issue there no doubt. I used to admire Whoopi until that rather ugly aspect of her personality reared its head.
I said this exact same thing yesterday. Whoopi hates women. She passionately defends men who rape/beat women and children, and men who torture animals. She says stupidly racist things like, this is what “black folks” have always done. I posted somewhere that I’m waiting for the black community to disavow her. She’s on television five days a week saying these “thumps” have been done by “black folks” forever. That’s just the ways things are done. She even went so far as to say that beating black children is something parents have always done to protect them from a racist white world. I’m not even kidding.
Oh don’t worry, mayamae, many of us see her for who she really is. A misogynist who looooooves to cozy up to powerful men and massage their widdle egos!
Did Camille at any point say the accusers are lying or phony? If someone accused my spouse of such horrible things, I would be angry and saying things like ” these accusations are all false” but she does not say that. Why? Could it be she knows of some cases that happened and is covering for Bill?
As for Whoopi, I just don’t have the energy to even go there
I think she’s purposely remaining controlled & thoughtful in tone. She’s not stooping to protest too much. It’s a ploy.
I mean, I just don’t feel like she needs to say anything at this point, she can go on silently supporting her husband. The “who is the victim” phrase clearly implies that she feels like her husband is the victim here, not the women who have spoken out against him. Jill Scott feels the same way, like it’s all a big attack on the legacy of a great entertainer.
It doesn’t matter if he’s a great entertainer or not.
I think that Bill Cosby thought she needed to say something at this point. That, or the lawyers. They realized that the narrative of slamming the accusers alone wasn’t working, the story only gained momentum. So now, it’s the double punch: Black media is the only route to ‘handle this’ and Camille’s undying love for Cliff Huxtable. Whether or not that note genuinely speaks to her position, I don’t know.
But you know that the attorneys thought they needed another direction, a demonstration of support, instead of driving automatically in pitbull mode, since it was ineffective.
I’m 100% sure that lawyers or a PR team wrote that statement. It’s far too media savvy.
She obviously implies the accusers are lying, but spins it to focus blame the media. It’s written incredibly well. Try to pick a “soundbite” out of that statement in order to run a “Mrs Cosby says accusers are lying” story and you just can’t – because she never quite comes out and says it.
It’s not a believable reaction, it’s pure spin.
Bingo Kiddo
What is up with Whoopi always defending unsavory characters.
The big standout for me is Cosby asking the black media to come to his defense after all of the negative things he’s said about black men. If you don’t know what I’m talking about do a google search.
@Mort, this was covered by MSNBC a couple of weeks ago. I think it was Chris Hayes’ show. There were two black guests who said this exact thing – Bill Cosby has alienated the black community, and now expects them to back him up. The female guest made a humorous crack about the comedian who’s had rapist Bill Cosby in his act for years. She said basically – yes, now that a man agrees that a woman has been raped, the public believes it’s true.
Its a shame but the many victims that had come forward before Beverly were ignored, now i think more people are sitting up and believing it as Beverly has no reason to publicly risk her career like this. People have been blackballed for lesser things.
Ummm…The women your husband drugged and assaulted. Aledgelly, but not really.
Yup. Who’s the victim? Not your husband, Camille.
Yeah, that’s what I came here to say.
Oh, GOD. The British entertainers-in-sex-abuse-scandals (it wasn’t just Jimmy Savile) unwound just like this Cosby one – a slow car crash of victim-blaming and head-in-the-sanding until, in the end, the whole thing collapsed in a domino-topple-come-avalanche of information that was as much about the institutions and industries as it was about the perpetrators.
It’s not going to be pretty, guys. Because the adversarial and beyond a reasonable doubt justice system employed by both our countries may have served us wonderfully well in many respects but really is just not up to the task of either sex or historical cases.
“…Because the adversarial and beyond a reasonable doubt justice system employed by both our countries may have served us wonderfully well in many respects but really is just not up to the task of either sex or historical cases.” This is so true, but I keep thinking there has to be a better way than just trial by the press and gossip blogs. I just don’t see the justice on either side this way.
I know the legal system isn’t perfect, but if a victim gets their story heard in the press what justice do they get from the perpetrator? Shaming? Maybe, I read the Scarlet Letter too many times, but that just doesn’t seem fitting. Also, what about the ones, even if it is a small amount that didn’t do it? I don’t think there is any comeback from this kind of punishment if they didn’t do anything. If one thing good could come out of this, I would hope it would be a change in the system in regards to sexual assault cases – how they are handled and punished.
As far as Camille Cosby, what she has to say is irrelevant. Even if you don’t believe all the accusations, she is a wife who Cosby cheated on for many years, and she found out later. She believes what she wants to believe.
There is plenty ‘coming back from this’. There were allegations and court cases years ago, and Cosby was almost ready to sign up for another show. ALMOST.
@noway
I have NO idea what the answer is. Some of the eventual UK court cases – which EVERYONE was baying for once the deceitful charade was entirely unmasked – collapsed into acquittals, not because the victims weren’t believed, but because the standard of proof just wasn’t met. I’d argue that in sex cases and historical cases, the standard of proof often CAN’T be met.
So what to do? I agree you can’t have trial by press and public opinion.
I think the answer probably lies somewhere in restorative justice and state-mandated processes of reconciliation and/or compensation. But that is going to open a can of painful worms itself, isn’t it? What, no jail terms? You know what I mean?
“I think the answer probably lies somewhere in restorative justice and state-mandated processes of reconciliation and/or compensation.”
@Sixer, That’s exactly what happens, in civil cases. Cosby settled with at least one other prior accuser. Is that justice? Maybe, maybe not. But paying ‘fines’, if you will, doesn’t prohibit future repeated behavior.
It is getting to the point, in the US, that for certain crimes (or rather certain groups of the upper echelon), the individual(s) never meet with the criminal end of the justice system. They PAY FINES instead. But not to the point of crippling their operation. Look at the F_ckery going on with corporate misdeeds. Pay a portion and proceed, business as usual.
On the other hand, sell a few measly untaxed cigarettes and you get put in a chokehold. Justice…nice concept, not meted out in any equal measure depending on your social class and connections.
Exactly, Kiddo. See what I mean? You can’t meet the standard of proof for a criminal trial. Trial by press is wrong. Civil settlements are unsatisfactory. What’s left?
By restorative justice, though, I mean something new and creative. Not just the same old opening of rich people’s wallets.
“It is getting to the point, in the US, that for certain crimes (or rather certain groups of the upper echelon), the individual(s) never meet with the criminal end of the justice system. They PAY FINES instead.”
Not just in the US, Kiddo. See Infanta Cristina of Spain (€600,000 fine likely paid by one of daddy’s rich friends, husband looking at 20 years in prison).
I don’t think change will come from the courts – it rarely does. It’ll be social. And it’ll be slow.
Think about how far we’ve come. The typical politically correct response now is not to victim blame. Historically speaking, that’s pretty new. Some victim blaming still occurs, but people are generally called out on it. That’s even newer. That’ll slowly seep through to the courts and lawyers will stop bringing up victims’ histories to discredit them. Remove the shame/blame factor and victims will be more likely to speak out, and to speak out quicker.
I know it does nothing for past victims, but there’s hope. (Or perhaps I’m just weirdly optimistic today.)
When justice cannot be reached through the courts — and I agree with Sixer that, in cases of this nature, it very often cannot — trial by press has its merits in these cases where individuals have acted as serial sexual predators for decades. Exposing predators for what they are, and shining light on the methods they use to facilitate and conceal their crimes, has real value.
Kiddo I wasn’t really referring to Cosby, and even with Cosby years ago the allegations was not like today. Yes people alleged but not the same way and certainly not with the same momentum of the social media sites, and he was allowed to be without repercussions at all. His public image really wasn’t tarnished back then, but by a few. My point was we need a better way than just Celebitchy, Twitter and the media to go after people.
I know the courts would be slow to change, but there has to be some way more formal and where even skeptics can say this was a good attempt at justice. I do wish we could change the mindset of women to feel more empowered to report it. I fear that these cases just don’t help as it seems like nothing gets done.
I think of the UVA rape case, and listen to her friends who she said told her to be quiet about it, and even though they deny that part they did say at the time they thought she was raped and truly traumatized. After the Rolling Stone report they question her now. which I find sad. My guess knowing some victims after the event you do forget a lot that happened immediately after the assault as your mind is stuck on the rape.
As a person who has experienced a few tragic events in my life the reaction you have is not always what you expect, and sometime you are just kind of stuck in the moment for lack of a better word. So I really wish people wouldn’t garner a lot by how they think people should behave, it is generally wrong in my opinion as people are very different.
I completely agree – the UK cases just spiralled the high profile sex attacks, systematic abuse and web of enablers was really shocking. You start to wonder what drives this – a dark side of humanity or a group that get what they want so easily they need a new thrill? Its scary and I hope that in this instance it is just one man who will be punished appropriately.
Girl STFU you willingly blind Wife-Of…. Who’s the Victim?? The Women Your Dude Roofied and Raped, That’s who!!
and Also: You Stay dressed like a Christmas Tree
I think she knows it’s true. And she does dress like a Christmas tree.
Your so right. These stories have been rolling around Hollywood for years. She must have known something was wrong. Every one wants to paint her as blind. She had the title of Mrs Cosby. She could make one call and get what she want when she want. She had status. Now she’s in the same boat as her husband.
The Christmas tree dressing may be another diversion technique (like tossing in the UVa mention at the end of her but-he’s-so-nice letter.
On some level, I understand Camille. She isn’t going to admit that the man she’s been married to for over 50 years and had multiple kids with is a monster. She’ll do absolutely anything to believe that her husband is a decent man.
Personally, I think that Camille probably accepts that Bill cheated on her. The stories about his womanizing are fairly legendary at this point, and Camille would have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not know. I think she probably thinks these women engaged in consensual acts with her husband, but not rape or assault.
The sheer numbers at this point are too large to deny. Even if you accepted that up to half of them are lying, that’s still at least a dozen who are being honest. And I can’t figure out any good reason for any of them to lie – especially people like Beverly Johnson. Even if only ONE of them was being honest, that still makes BC a rapist. I just cannot understand how people can defend him now.
Well stated, Sam. I do think self-delusion is a powerful thing, and it’s possible she just can’t wrap her head around the idea of her husband of that many years doing such a thing. Don’t underestimate the ability of sociopathic narcissicists to pull the wool over people’s eyes either. Whoopi is another story. What a nasty piece of work.
Yes, it’s unrealistic to expect his wife of several decades and mother of his children to lead the assault against him. I do believe the accusers in this case, for a variety of reasons. But I doubt that his wife thinks of him as a rapist even though she may now have doubts. She knows he’s a cheater, and that’s how she probably frames all of it. She reconciled herself to the cheating long ago.
People show different facets of themselves to different people. Maybe he actually has been a nice guy to her and her children otherwise. This must be really difficult for her regardless of how their relationship really had been. I’d cut her loads of slack on this and wouldn’t push her. Doubt that the statement was her idea, though, that’s rather mean to do to her.
Whoopi is such an effing idiot. Her questions sound just like a male slut-shaming defense attorney for an accused rapist.
Woman card revoked.
Sit down and stfu, Whoopsie.
Exactly.
Just another Dottie Sandusky. Nothing new here.
I can’t being to try to understand her mindset at this point, nor do I want to, but…to suggest he’s the victim here? Rage inducing.
Beverly is KICK ASS. I have the utmost respect for her stepping up and being vocal about this, and her reasons for doing so.
Honestly, given her recent track record, I’m surprised Whoopi wasn’t worse.
First of all, will The View please go away….I don’t know anyone who wants to listen to these idiots onpinions on anything!!!
Secondly, Bill Cosby is a sociopath and proabably has talked himself into believing everything he is saying is true. My ex was the same way…he cheated on me numerous times. I even caught him red handed with another woman, and to this day, he will say I am crazy and it never happened!!! Camille is probably just used to turning a blinds eye to Bill’s horrid behavior, because how could she ever stay with him if she didn’t. In some ways, Camille is a victim, too! This is probably how she learned to cope with his crap! Some women just aren’t strong enough to leave…
My ex admitted to me that he had an affair after I found articles of her clothing in our bedroom, then later said I was crazy and he never said that. I’m sure Cosby gaslighted Camille all the time, but I believe that on some level, she knows it’s true.
+1. She chose to stay and live a lie. Even if she in theory knew nothing about the rapes, she knew he was a cheater but turned her head and looked the other way as is the fashion in Hollywood. So we clearly know that she has a great propensity toward self delusion. How sad.
BS! Some women don’t want to do the work required to leave and become independent. Some women hold their status and reputation as a higher priority than real morals. Some women, when push really comes to shove, are all about themselves. Don’t give enablers a pass. They help victimize too. She’s had more than the average women all her adult life. It wouldn’t have been nearly as hard for her to leave and make it on her own and say some Jane Doe married to an average Joe. Her statements shame the victims and shut up future victims from coming forward. Hope her fancy skirts and pretend feminism reputation have been worth it. Nobody gets to take the easy way out and then get support for not having enough strength. It’s not about stregnth. It’s about selfishness and laziness. If he beat her, she would leave. I beleive that. If she can leave for herself, she could have left for others – others who were very young. I still say shame on her. I feel no sympathy toward her what-so-ever. I actually beleive there is a special place in Hell for people who stand by and do nothing knowing others are being hurt….and for what? Social status and MONEY??!!
Ultimately, I agree with you. Having experienced years of denial myself, I am maybe a little more sympathetic than you are, or at least I understand how someone can refuse to see the obvious for so long. Not that my ex was hurting anyone but me. I hope I would have snapped out of it sooner if he had been. I just know the terror of facing a truth that will shatter your life forever. That can be very powerful. But, as you say, it ultimately comes down to the point where it’s impossible to deny, even if everything in your being wants to. I just can’t believe she has lived this long with him, and heard the rumors and witnessed shady stuff without finally knowing in her heart that it’s true. I don’t know if she is unable to face it because she loves him, or because she feels she would lose all of her status as his wife, or what, but you’re right – she’s victimizing these women all over again, and she should be ashamed.
Whoopi is a rapist’s best friend. Rapists count on people like her to continue doing what they’re doing. Many rapists tell their victims “no one will believe you”.
I don’t know if I’d that far by calling her a “rapist’s best friend”. I don’t believe she supports rapists. It’s celebrities that Whoopi defends no matter what they do or what they’re accused of.
Whoopi always sides with men. As a woman, how brainwashed do you have to be to do that?
Brainwashed much?
How does Whoopie still have a job? Serious question. If Whoopie Goldberg were a man and questioned women like this, she would be fired. I know she’s supposed to have a POV (it is called The View after all) and that if they all agreed it would be boring TV. But Whoopie has never given me any reason to think that she doesn’t really believe what she says.
Gender has nothing to do with it. Don Lemon basically did the same thing when asked one of Cosby’s alleged victims why didn’t she use her teeth. He still has his job. He did ,however, get ripped a new one on social media.
“If Whoopie Goldberg were a man and questioned women like this, she would be fired.”
Not really. Hell, if she was Bill “she asked for it because she was wearing a mini skirt” O’Reilly, she’d probably even get her own damn show on Fox News FFS.
The media pisses me off with this so much. Isn’t there a legitimate way to ask a question to verify the accusation without being so misogynistic? Either as with the UVA/Rolling Stone case they don’t even try to verify the info or they ask dumb sexist questions like what you were wearing? It’s either all or nothing come on there has to be something in between that.
Mr. and Mrs. Cosby are both sick and twisted in their own sad ways. Some accounts I’ve read state that Camille knew *exactly* what was going on and closed her eyes to it rather than face it. They both make me want to vomit at his point.
I believe Camille really lives in denial. Settled there long ago and literally can’t take anymore so she’s not going to now. I don’t say she’s a victim but too afraid of the reality of all of this. Because soon she’s going to face a more painful reality that will crumble her.
I truly feel for Camille. Bill Cosby is an abuser, plain and simple. He is an emotional, physical, and verbal abuser towards not only the women he drugged and/or raped, but to her as well. He has Camille so convinced that she is just “imagining things” and that he truly loves her and only her, that she will never believe any of these women. Guys like him are cunning, evil, and very good liars and manipulators. They prey on women who are emotionally immature or naïve, and those who need a “father figure.”
Unfortunately I can relate somewhat to what Camille is going through. My husband is an emotional, verbal and physical abuser toward me, especially when he’s been drinking. He physically attacked me and left bruises on my arm, and to this day says, “That never happened. You’re just making sh** up.” Ha! Like hell I am! I have the pictures to prove it you D*ck! But this is what guys like this do. They try to convince you that it never happened, or that you are the one with the problem, not them. It’s scary!
There is strength in numbers, thankfully, for these women. As soon as one came forward, the rest of them were no longer afraid of the “All Powerful Coz.” Now he just looks like a pathetic little scum bag. I hope he rots in hell.
Jonesy, all I can tell you is that leaving was the hardest thing I ever did, but it was the best thing I ever did, too. You don’t have to live like this. Starting over is scary, but the peace descended instantly and I have a happy life now. Listen to that little voice inside you that tells you you deserve better than this, because it’s right. You do.
There’s another choice besides ‘brainwashed’ and ‘aware but terrified’ and that’s aware but complicit. Maybe she doesn’t care as long as she’s got position and money–he seems a sociopath, why not her? She doesn’t have to be considered a victim. I don’t know what her truth is but there aren’t just the 2 possibilities that exist. A woman isn’t always a victim here.
And Carla Ferrigno plainly called her out as knowing what was going on when she told her story.
As an added note, a young woman has come forward with a story that, allegedly, took place in 2008. If true, that may fall within the statute of limitations period unlike the other cases. I think that’s what BC may really fear. If he’s continued on with his predatory behavior, there could be cases which are legally prosecutable.
THANK YOU! People please stop making excuses for this woman. She likes the lifestyle and the status being his wife affords her (pardon the pun). She’s always known. She’s no different than Mama June wanting to stay with the man who molested her daughter. They are selfish, self-serving women. And Camille has played into the fake facade too. She crafted a persona for herself just as Cosby did for himself. She has made herself powerful as CEO of Cosby Enterprises, a producer, writer and of course…a generous philanthtropist. As if that cancels out the horrid things she’s allowed to perpetuate.
Agreed. I have tremendous sympathy for victims of domestic abuse, and I can understand why they publicly make excuses for their spouse’s behavior, but I don’t think Camille Cosby is one. My impression is that Bill Cosby has been very, very smart about not sh*tting where he eats and keeping his wife on-side by fulfilling his need to dominate and abuse women outside of his home life. His wife is a real person, the mother of his children — a “good” woman. The women he has raped were playthings, “sluts”.
I think Camille is perfectly content to turn a blind eye to her husband’s actions outside their marriage as long as their social standing remains intact and her family life is not disrupted. She may even believe it most of the time when she says her husband is a good man, but frankly I don’t really care. The evidence just keeps stacking up and is there for her to look at just like it is for the rest of us (and she has probably seen first-hand quite a bit of additional evidence that we’ll never know about). How does she choose to respond? By labeling anyone who has the audacity to state that her husband assaulted them as a liar. That is not a response I can respect or forgive. It reminds me painfully of Dottie Sandusky.
Allegations have floated around for years. He allegedly gave trade-off stories about his own child. In his little one-man show that he’s been doing in recent years, he described his wife as anything but a wallflower. I don’t see her as an automatically sympathetic figure. It is possible that she has as much of a facade as he allegedly does.
Fook Camille. Fook Whoopi.
It’s about bloody time that Cosby was revealed to be a Jimmy Saville level skeeze bucket.
Kathie Lee Guilford just said Bill tried to kiss her when she worked with him as an opening act.Camille knows he is a womanizer who has cheated on her throughout her marriage.Maybe she is in denial about the drugging aspect.Bill has never denied knowing these women or denied having sex with them.Has he? So even if he wasn’t a rapist,which I believe he is,he has had sex with dozens of women while he was married.Is that the man you know,Camille?
Whenever I see Whoppi I think of a whoopie cushion. All you’re going to hear is a slow, steady stream of pffffftttt.
Camille needs to have a sit-down with Ruth Madoff.
Their youngest daughter has weighed in now on social media. She linked to a conservative site which is supportive of her dad, blasted Spelman College and ‘broke down’ Beverly Johnson’s appearance on The View. Whatever their mom may or may not know, this would be a horrible thing to hear about your father. But I don’t know if this will do more PR harm or not.
What kind of drug did Bill slip her before she came out with this statement?
Beverly Johnson coming out is a big deal. All the fame of Janice Dickinson without the side of crazy. Lisa Bonet is next. This had to be part of the reason they fought.
The problem with Camille’s conspiracy plot line is that Cosby settled a case with one of his accusers. He certainly had the money to get the best legal defense and go to trial. He was scared of being found guilty because 13 women were willing to testify he did the same thing to him. 13 women!
I’ll bet that letter was either written by, or heavily post-processed by, Cosby’s PR/legal team.
Beverly was so humble on the show and telling her story just brings more attention to the fact that a lot of women in the world do stay quiet from incidences much like what she experienced. I’ve known a few friends who were in violent relationships and never told anyone after taking years of beatings. I applaud her for being strong and speaking out.
Dottie Sandusky Syndrome.
Dear Mrs. Cosby,
I think you meant to say, “…who ARE the victimS.” Your husband has dozens of victims. Plural.
I’m tired of people using the Rolling Stone article as an example of how we cannot believe victims of rape or to discredit the journalist whose intentions have been lost in victim blaming.
The RS story has done more to help the victims of rape on the UVA campus than anything else would have. It forced the President of UVA and its administration to take action. It made alumni aware that the administration wasn’t doing enough to protect rape victims or make these crimes publicly known. UVA does have a serious rape culture and, despite holes in the RS story, we do know for a fact that something very horrible happened to “Jackie” and that she was likely raped at a fraternity house. It seems that her memory has been muddled as to which fraternity house she was raped in because many of them look similar, and if her date that night was a member of the fraternity she accused in the article. Important details, but not enough to entirely discredit Jackie and the author of the article. I’m glad that the article was published and more universities need to be publicly hung out to dry until they all implement changes in how they deal with rape on campus.
Camille’s response is saddening. It’s disappointing to see what appeared to be an intelligent and classy woman throw away her own legacy and reputation for a man who has a cheated on her for the better part of their marriage. It’s always disheartening to see a woman side with a rapist over the voices of many other women to maintain the deteriorating remnants of a happy and healthy marriage. Her using the Rolling Stone article has made me lose all respect for her. She should just keep her mouth shut unless it is to tell us she finally plans on divorcing her husband.