One of the most eagerly-anticipated court cases of recent years has begun. Bill Cosby, 79, is officially on trial.
The 79-year-old actor has been charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault following accusations from former basketball coach Andrea Constand that he drugged and sexually assaulted her at his home in 2004.
Cosby denies all charges, and this week, arrived at court supported by actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played his daughter Rudy on The Cosby Show. His wife and four daughters – his son Ennis was murdered in 1996 – were nowhere to be seen.
Much has been made of Pulliam’s support, and she has told media: “You’re innocent until you’re proven guilty and the job now is for the two sides to prove their cases and I accept whatever verdict is handed down.”
But what of the rest of the women on The Cosby Show? Here we find out what they’ve done since leaving the hit series, and whether they, too, have spoken out in support of their former co-star.
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Pullman was just five when she started playing Cosby’s youngest daughter Rudy in 1984, and in 1986 became the youngest ever actress to be nominated for an Emmy award. After her time on the show came to an end in 1992, she graduated from college and took part in various reality TV shows. In 2008, she joined TBS drama Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, until 2012.
The actress, 38, gave birth to her first child this year, and has spoken out in support of Cosby. After accompanying him to the first day of his sexual assault trial, she told reporters: “I came to support because this is where you hear the facts, this is where the truth happens. Ultimately, it’s easy to support someone…when things are great…but true family, friendship, integrity is how do people show up and support when things aren’t looking so great when they aren’t shiny.”
Phylicia Rashad
After Rashad’s time playing Cosby’s on-screen wife Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show, she returned to work with the actor on the CBS sitcom Cosby between 1996 to 2000. In 2004, she became the first black actress to win a Tony Best Actress award, for her role in A Raisin in the Sun. She continued her career on Broadway, whilst appearing in films like Steel Magnolias.
She has been married three times, and has two children: William Lancelot Bowles III and Condola Phyleia Rashad.
Rashad is said to support Cosby, though she did not attend the start of the trial. In a 2015 interview, Rashad suggested the allegations against the actor from nearly 60 women were “orchestrated.”
“I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy,” she said. “And, it’s a legacy that is so important to the culture. Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV, and it’s worked.”
A source close to her recently said: “Phylicia has never wavered in her support of Bill and she’s said she’ll be available for whatever he might need, whenever he might need it.”
Lisa Bonet
Bonet played Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show, and briefly left to star in its spinoff comedy A Different World. She left the series when she became pregnant, before returning to The Cosby Show – from which she was fired in 1991, over “creative differences.”
She subsequently took on roles in films such as Enemy of the State, High Fidelity, and the TV series Life of Mars.
The actress was married to Lenny Kravitz and they have a daughter, Zoe. In 2007, she married Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoa and the couple have two children.
Bonet has not spoken out about the Cosby case, but her daughter Zoe told The Guardian her mother was “disgusted and concerned.”
Sabrina Le Beauf
The 59-year-old actress played Cosby’s oldest daughter Sondra on the show, and went on to appear in Fatherhood and Star Trek. She frequently plays lead roles with the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC and has an interior design business.
Le Beauf has, thus far, stayed silent over the allegations against Cosby.
Tempestt Bledsoe
The actress, now 43, played Vanessa Huxtable on the show until 1992. She then went on to host a daytime talk show, The Tempestt Bledsoe Show, and has a degree in finance from NYU.
Like La Beauf she is yet to comment on the accusations or trial.
Raven-Symoné Pearman
Pearman appeared on The Cosby Show as step-granddaughter Olivia. She later had her own Disney Channel show, That’s So Raven, and is now starring in a spinoff called Raven’s Home that is due to air in July 2017.
In 2015, she said: “I don’t really like to talk about [the Bill Cosby scandal] that much because he’s the reason I’m on this panel in the first place. He gave me my first job. But at the same time you need the proof, and then I’ll be able to give my judgment here or there. And now there’s real facts.”
She has also taken to Instagram to stress that she was never taken advantage of on The Cosby Show.
