Actor Malcolm Jamal Warner reposted a video by Cedric the Entertainer on Instagram in honor of Black History Month, which honors the many contributions of the disgraced comedian and TV star Bill Cosby.
In addition to reposting the video, Warner wrote a lengthy post detailing previous comments he made to the media about the legacy of The Cosby Show; he wrote, “In 2015, I put out my last album, “Selfless” (I know, I know I’m past due for my 4th one). The press sleeps on spoken word so much that even though I had just won a Grammy w @roberglasper and @lalahathaway that same year, the only way I could get press coverage on my album was if I agreed to answer at least one question about the allegations against Mr. Cosby in interviews. I did an interview w associated press.”
He said the interview, which focused on his acting and musical careers, lasted only 20 minutes and ended with the interviewer asking if he thought the sexual misconduct allegations had tainted the Cosby Show’s legacy.
In response, Warner said, “Yes, the legacy of the show has been tarnished because whenever we saw negative stereotypical images of Black people on tv and/or film, we’ve always had The Cosby Show to hold up juxtaposed to that, but now that it’s taken off the air we no longer have that.”
The next day, Warner said that he was disappointed to see the headlines read, “Malcolm-Jamal Warner says the legacy of The Cosby Show has been tarnished.” He contrasted the out-of-context news coverage to a time when “the media world took a bogus untrue claim from one source that I kicked an ex-loved one and her son out of our house a few years before that.”
According to Warner, the media “took the truncated Cosby quote and ran with it.” He was referring to media reports that he removed actress and director Regina King and her son from his home. “And, once again, the manipulated truth spread like wildfire,” he added.
It was also noted that Keshia Knight Pulliam, Warner’s TV sister, was asked the same question by an interviewer, and her response was: “the legacy of the show could never be tarnished because of all the good it did for our culture.”
At the end of the post, Warner thanked Cedric the Entertainer, “Thank you @cedtheentertainer for this. I can neither defend nor throw Mr. Cosby under the bus. Current circumstances notwithstanding, and despite attempts to strip him of his legacy, these accomplishments and influence can never be taken away. And they should be remembered.”
