‘The Cosby Show’ fans were ready to go to war on Mother’s Day when actress Phylicia Rashad became a trending topic on social media.
Rashad, who is revered as one of the greatest TV mothers of all time, was celebrated by fans paying homage to her “The Cosby Show” character Claire Huxtable. All was well at first as fans shared memorable Claire scenes from the show, as well as heartfelt tributes explaining how their own mothers were like the fictional mother of five.
But in the midst of celebrating, a Twitter user by the name of Lisa Talmage opted to throw a wrench in things. In a single tweet, she provoked a hive of Rashad fans to get into war formation.
“Claire Huxtable was an enabler of the longest and most prolific drug rape predator in US history, Bill Cosby. Everyone on set knew he was a sadistic predator. Everyone. 75 women drugged and raped by Cosby and he got away with it because of enablers,” wrote Talmage. The tweet, which has since been deleted, was flooded with strong reactions from those who took issue with Talmage’s comment.
“Stop trying to blame a BW [Black woman] for this rapist’s actions. Bill Cosby is responsible for his transgressions.”
“Just because you work with someone who turns out to be a rapist doesn’t mean you’re in any way responsible for that person’s actions.”
“I’ll flip this whole table over bout Mrs. Phylicia Rashad, go play with somebody else.”
As the #MeToo movement gained momentum, Cosby became the first celebrity to make headlines with his felony conviction of sexual assault. The once-beloved TV dad was accused of drugging and raping scores of women over the span of his career, however, his conviction stems from an incident that occurred in 2004.
In the beginning, Cosby’s longtime co-star Rashad defended the comedian.
“What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy,” she told Showbiz411. “And I think it’s orchestrated. I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy. And it’s a legacy that is so important to the culture.”
Part of the fallout caused by Cosby’s tarnished reputation was the popular sitcom being pulled from syndication.
