She says she wasn’t being dismissive of the women who’ve accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault when she came to the comedian’s defense in an online interview.
“I am a woman. I would never do that,” she said on ABC’s “World News Tonight With David Muir” on Wednesday.
‘Forget these women’
Rashad played Clair Huxtable, Bill Cosby’s TV wife, on the groundbreaking NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show.”
Cosby’s now been accused of harassing, drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women. And in an interview with Showbiz 411, Rashad said she never saw any indication of the behavior that the women have attributed to the legendary actor.
“Forget these women,” Rashad told the outlet. “What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy. 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.”
Fast forward to Wednesday night.
Rashad says the Showbiz 411 piece didn’t accurately reflect what she said — especially the “forget these women” part.
“That was a misquote. That is not what I said,” Rashad said. “What I said is, ‘this is not about the women. This is about something else. This is about the obliteration of legacy.'”
Allred calls Rashad out
In coming to the defense of her TV husband, Rashad has now waded into a controversy that continues to dog Cosby.
More than 20 women have come forward with claims, and a defamation lawsuit has been filed against Cosby.
On Wednesday, attorney Gloria Allred brought out three more women — Linda Kirkpatrick, Lynn Neal and a woman who chose to be identified only as Kacey — who say they were sexually assaulted by the comedian after being drugged by him.
While introducing the women, Allred addressed Rashad’s statements to Showbiz 411.
“Phylicia, you should be supporting these women rather than joining Cosby’s paid ‘attack dogs’ who are trying to undermine them in any way that they can,” Allred said.
Cosby stays mum
And Cosby? He’s maintaining his silence — as he’s done while his reputation suffers.
He was in Kitchener, Ontario, on Wednesday night for a standup appearance.
A few dozen protestors rallied outside, but the show went on without a hitch.
Larger protests are planned for Thursday night’s shows.
After his set, Cosby released a statement thanking attendees.
“I would like to personally thank you for giving me the opportunity to bring laughter back into your lives tonight,” he said. Also, I would like to applaud all of you and give you a standing ovation for respecting yourselves, the theatre (Centre In The Square) and the event organizers that produced a spectacular show for the Kitchener Community.”
The Breakroom 