Looks like Bill Cosby won’t be heading out on a comedy tour any time soon.
The disgraced comedian first let the ill-advised plan of some sort of post-prison stand-up comedy tour slip back in July, but according to a new report by TMZ, he’s been talked out of the idea because of yet another sexual assault lawsuit.
The case in question was filed by Judy Huth, who alleges Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion back in the 1970s when was just 15 years old. Huth’s case isn’t exactly new either — it dates back to 2014, with Huth one of more than 60 women who have come forward over the years with allegations of rape, drug-induced sexual assault, sexual battery, and child sexual abuse towards the one-time icon.
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However, the lawsuit was put on the back burner while Cosby faced the charges brought by Andrea Constad, which ultimately sent him to prison until his early release this summer courtesy of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Now, with the newly-energized case set to go to trial next spring, the actor is staring down the prospect of another legal battle, and his rep told TMZ he won’t go on tour in order to avoid all the media scrutiny that would come with mounting a comeback in the middle of more allegations. There are also concerns Cosby could say something incriminating while on stage.
While Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, wasn’t directly quoted in the report, he insists the Cosby Show actor’s decision had nothing to do with lack of interest on the part of audiences or the comedy circuit. In fact, he claims at least a dozen clubs around the country approached Cosby about performing after his conviction was overturned.
Speaking of media scrutiny, Cosby himself claimed the “mainstream media are the insurrectionists” after Phylicia Rashad received a public reprimand and more than a little backlash for celebrating his release from prison.
