AS BILL COSBY AWAITS SENTENCING, HIS BODY OF WORK IS BEING CAST
IN AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LIGHT.
>> CRAIG IS HERE WITH THAT STORY.IG IS HERE WITH THAT
STORY.
>> GOOD MORNING, LADIES. AT HIS HEIGHT, BILL COSBY, ONE
OF THE MOST ADMIRED MAN ON THE
PLANET.
PLANET.
NOW, THAT LEGACY, FOREVER
TARNISHED.
IN HIS HEYDAY BILL COSBY WAS AMERICAS DAD. BILL COSBY WAS
AMERICAS DAD.
>> DAD HAS A POINT, MOM. >> Reporter: ONCE A PATRIARCH,
PUT ON A PEDESTAL.
NOW, A PARIAH, CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.CONVICTED OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT.
>> I ACTUALLY FEEL SORRY FOR THE WOLFMAN NOW.Y FEEL SORRY FOR THE
WOLFMAN NOW. >> Reporter: COSBY ROSE TO
NATIONAL PROMINENCE AS A GUEST
ON "THE TONIGHT SHOW," IN 19 63,
BECOMING A TV STAR LATER ON "I
SPY."
THE FIRST BLACK ACTOR TO STAR IN
A DRAMA SERIES. COSBY SOON BECAME ONE OF THE
MOST SOUGHT-AFTER PITCHMEN IN
THE COUNTRY.
>> I WANT TO BE A BOWL OF JELL-O PUDDING.T TO BE A BOWL OF JELL-O
PUDDING.
IN THE 70s, HE CREATED THE "FAT ALBERT" CARTOON SERIES.THE "FAT
ALBERT" CARTOON SERIES. AND "THE COSBY SHOW" DEBUTED IN
1984.
1984.
AT ITS PEAK, BOASTING AN
ASTONISHING 70 MILLION VIEWERS.
AS THE WHOLESOME CLIFF HUXTABLE,
COSBY WAS A MORAL AUTHORITY,
ESPECIALLY AMONG
AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO IDOLIZED HIM FOR BREAKING BARRIERS.IZED
HIM FOR BREAKING BARRIERS. >> THIS IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOUR CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO
PLAY RIGHT HERE.
>> Reporter: AT ITS PEAK,
COSBYS PERSONAL WEALTH WAS
ESTIMATED TO BE UPWARDS OF $400
MILLION.
MILLION.
SO WEALTHY AND POWERFUL, HE
TRIED TO BUY THE NBC NETWORK
FROM ITS OWNER IN 1992.
COSBY EVEN ENDEARED HIMSELF TO A
NEW GENERATION, AS THE HOST OF
"KIDS SAY THE DARNEDEST THINGS" IN THE 90s.HE DARNEDEST THINGS"
IN THE 90s. >> ARE YOU GOING TO GET MARRIED?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: BUT IN 2014, HIS
PUBLIC IDENTITY STARTED TO
CRUMBLE.
CRUMBLE.
>> YOU RAPE WOMEN, BILL COSBY.
>> Reporter: HANIBLE BURRIS CALLED OUT COSBY FOR THE SEXUAL
ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS THAT PLAGUED
HIM FOR YEARS, ALLEGATIONS THAT
HE VEHEMENTLY DENIED.
>> I WANT TO JUST AT LEAST MAKE
IT WEIRD FOR YOU TO WATCH "COSBY
SHOW" RERUNS.
SHOW" RERUNS.
>> Reporter: SOON, DOZENS OF WOMEN WOULD COME FORWARD WITH
SIMILAR STORIES.
SIMILAR STORIES. COSBYS CAREER TOOK HIT AFTER
HIT, NBC SCRAPPING A PLANNED
PROJECT WITH COSBY.
AND MORE THAN A DOZEN
UNIVERSITIES HE ONCE SUPPORTED,
RESCINDING HIS HONORARY DEGREES.
IN THE WAKE OF THURSDAYS
VERDICT, HIS ALMA MATER, TEMPLE
UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE HAD
PREVIOUSLY STEPPED DOWN FROM THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, NOW
CONSIDERING THE SAME COURSE OF
ACTION.
ACTION.
AND BOUNCE TV, ONE OF THE FEW
CHANNELS AIRING RERUNS OF "THE
COSBY SHOW" ANNOUNCED THURSDAY
IT WOULD PULL THE PROGRAM OFF
THE AIR.
THROUGH IT ALL, HIS "COSBY SHOW"
CO-STARS TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF THE ALLEGATIONS.TO MAKE SENSE OF
THE ALLEGATIONS.
>> I BELIEVE YOURE INNOCENT
UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
AND THATS NOT THE MAN I EVER EXPERIENCED.T THE MAN I EVER
EXPERIENCED.
>> Reporter: TODAY, GENERATIONS
ARE RECONCILING THE AFFABLE DR. HUXTABLE WITH COSBY HIMSELF.
HIS CONVICTION, NOW ECLIPSING
HIS NAME AND FORTUNE.
ITS A HARD RECONCILIATION.
BLACK KID GROWING UP IN
COLOMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, IN THE
80s, I CAN TELL YOU THAT BILL
COSBY WAS MY BOYHOOD MENTOR.
HE WAS THE GUY.
WATCHING THIS PLAY OUT OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS FOR A LOT OF
FOLKS, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
>> IDOLIZED BILL COSBY.
>> WE HAVE KATE IN.
I REMEMBER ONE THING.
YOU SAT WITH THAT GROUP OF 27
WOMEN, ALL ACCUSING BILL COSBY
IN A ROOM.
AND YOU STAYED IN TOUCH WITH
THEM.
THEM.
AND THEY STAYED IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER.AYED IN TOUCH WITH
EACH OTHER.
WHAT WAS THE REACTION AFTER THE
VERDICT?
>> A LOT OF THEM WENT IN WHEN
THEY HEARD A VERDICT WAS COMING, EVERYBODY THOUGHT ITS NOT GOING,
EVERYBODY THOUGHT ITS NOT GOING TO BE FOR US.
ITS GOING TO BE A HUNG JURY.
THATS WHAT THE WORRY WAS.
WHEN IT WAS GUILTY ON THREE
COUNTS, THEY STARTED TEXTING
EACH OTHER, CRYING.
>> WHY WERE THEY SO SURPRISED,
DO YOU THINK?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID TO ME
THREE YEARS AGO, THEY NEVER
THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD COME.
THEY DIDNT BELIEVE.
YOU HAD LILY ON LAST HOUR.
SHE NEVER BELIEVED THIS WOULD
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
>> THEY WERE STEELING THEMSELVES
FOR A DISAPPOINTING VERDICT FROM
THEIR PERSPECTIVE.
AND WHY?
SIX MONTHS AGO, WHATEVER IT WAS,
THERE WAS A MISTRIAL. THERE WAS A HUNG JURY.
THIS CASE WAS DIFFERENT FROM A
LEGAL STANDPOINT.
LEGAL STANDPOINT. YOU HAD OTHER ACCUSERS WHO WERE
PERMITTED TO TESTIFY, MORE THAN
THE FIRST TIME.
BUT ITS A CHANGE IN OUR CULTURE.A CHANGE IN OUR
CULTURE.
>> THE CULTURE CHANGED IN THE
PAST YEAR.
HOW MANY STORIES HAVE I TOLD YOU WITH THE #METOO MOVEMENT,OLD YOU
WITH THE #METOO MOVEMENT, POWERFUL MEN BEING ACCUSED, THE
JUDGE WAS CLEAR, DONT LET
THINGS OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM
COME IN AND INFLUENCE YOU.
JUST BASE THIS ON THE EVIDENCE.
I THINK ALL OF US LIVE IN 2018,
THAT JURY INCLUDED.
WE HAVE ALL HEARD WHAT HAPPENED
OVER THE PAST YEAR.
>> WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? THREE COUNTS, AND A TEN-YEAR MAX
ON EACH.
ON EACH.
WHAT IS THE SENTENCING? >> SENTENCING WONT HAPPEN UNTIL
TWO OR THREE MONTHS FROM NOW.
HE FACES THE POTENTIAL -- THE
REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON.
>> HES LIKE A LARGER-THAN-LIFE
CHARACTER.
CHARACTER.
WE TALK ABOUT HIS MORALITY.
WE HEARD HOW BILL COSBY WOULD
LECTURE PEOPLE ON, PULL YOUR
PANTS UP, DONT USE FOUR-LETTER WORDS, ET CETERA.E FOUR-LETTER
WORDS, ET CETERA.
>> BE A GOOD FATHER. >> HOW DID THAT PLAY?
>> TALKING TO THE WOMEN, THE
ACCUSERS, HE WOULD SAY HE
CLOAKED HIMSELF OR USED THIS
IMAGE THAT WE ALL HAD OF HIM, TO
HIS ADVANTAGE.
HIS ADVANTAGE.
THEY WOULD SAY, IN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WOMEN.TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF WOMEN. BECAUSE HE HAD THIS REPUTATION
AND THIS IMAGE OF BEING THE
FAMILY GUY AND UP ON A PEDESTAL,
HE USED THAT, THEY SAY, TO LURE
WOMEN INTO RELATIONSHIPS WITH
HIM.
HIM.
THE COMMON THEME IS, ILL BE YOUR MENTOR, TRUST ME, AND THEY
TRUSTED HIM.
TRUSTED HIM.
>> IN TERMS OF SENTENCING, THIS IS PROBABLY MORE THE LEGAL THIS
IS PROBABLY MORE THE LEGAL QUESTION, HERES A GUY WHO, FROM
THE OUTSET, HAS NEVER ADMITTED
ANY WRONGDOING.
ANY WRONGDOING.
>> AND STILL DOESNT, FOR ALL
THE OTHERS THAT ACCUSE HIM. >> DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE JUDGE
IS LIKELY TO THROW THE BOOK AT
HIM?
HIM?
>> YOU GET POINTS IF YOU
DEMONSTRATE REMORSE.
BUT EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO ASSERT THEIR INNOCENCE.D TO
ASSERT THEIR INNOCENCE.
ITS A STATUTORY MAXIMUM OF 30
YEARS.
IT WILL PROBABLY BE A SENTENCE
THATS MUCH LESS.
>> HES 80.
>> ALL THE ACCUSERS FEEL
DIFFERENTLY ABOUT IT.
WE HAD ONE ACCUSER ON WHO SAID I
HOPE THEY THROW THE BOOK AT HIM.
OTHERS SAY, THE VERDICT WAS ENOUGH.SAY, THE VERDICT WAS
ENOUGH.
I DONT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GUY NOW.ARE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE
GUY NOW.
>> PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHEN HE
GOT IN THEAR AFTER THE VERDICT
AND WENT HOME. >> AND HIS OUTBURST IN COURT.
HE USE EDD A STRONG WORD IN COUR
YESTERDAY, SAYING I DONT HAVE A
PRIVATE PLANE, YOU A-HOLE.
THATS THE FIRST TIME
PROSECUTORS SAY, YESTERDAY, WE
SAW HIS OTHER SIDE.
>> WHAT ABOUT CAMILLE?
HAS SHE SAID ANYTHING, HIS WIFE?
>> SHES NOT SPOKEN.
SHE WAS IN COURT FOR THE CLOSING
ARGUMENT OF THE DEFENSE.
YOU SAW A PICTURE OF HER WALKING
IN WITH HIM AND SUPPORTING HIM.
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR THE
CAMERAS BECAUSE SHE WASNT THERE
FOR THE FULL TWO WEEKS.
>> SHE SAID IN THE PAST THAT SHE
BELIEVES -- SHE BELIEVES THIS
WAS ALL A GRAND CONSPIRACY ON
HER HUSBAND.
HER HUSBAND.
>> AND TO BE FAIR, THERES STILL
PEOPLE, CRAIG, IN THIS COUNTRY,
WHO THINK THIS IS A GRAND