Bill Cosby’s television wife, Phylicia Rashad, is apologizing for initially supporting the comedian’s release from prison, and she says her comments were in “no way directed towards survivors of sexual assault.”
The ‘Cosby Show’ star took to Twitter on Saturday to address the situation after getting a ton of heat for supporting the release of Bill Cosby after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction for sexual assault. As we reported, Rashad was one of the first celebrity’s to celebrate the move by the highest court in the state, tweeting, “FINALLY!!! A terrible wrong is being righted – a miscarriage of justice is corrected!” Several celebrities blasted the decision on social media, saying it was a slap in the face to sexual assault survivors everywhere.
Now, Phylicia has issued an apology, which includes a message to her students at Howard University where she is the Dean of the College of Fine Arts.
Phylicia Rashad: I Know I Hurt So Many People
“This week, I tweeted a statement that caused so much hurt in so many people — both broadly and inside the Howard Community. I offer my most sincere apology. I have since removed that upsetting tweet. I am sorry. I intend to earn your trust and your forgiveness,” she began.
She continued, “My remarks were in no way directed towards survivors of sexual assault. I vehemently oppose sexual violence, find no excuse for such behavior, and I know that Howard University has a zero-tolerance policy toward interpersonal violence.”The actress says she will now take part in training programs at the university in hopes of helping sexual assault victims in the future and engage in “active listening.”