Bill Cosby backs Phylicia Rashad after she apologizes for tweeting her support

Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby is backing former co-star Phylicia Rashad after she apologized for tweeting her support of him following his release from prison earlier this week.

“This mainstream media are the Insurrectionists, who stormed the Capitol,” Cosby said through a spokesperson in a statement to CNN on Sunday. “Those same Media Insurrectionists are trying to demolish the Constitution of these United State [sic] of America on this Independence Day.”

Cosby ended his statement saying, “NO TECHNICALITY — IT’S A VIOLATION OF ONES RIGHTS & WE THE PEOPLE STAND IN SUPPORT OF MS. PHYLICIA RASHAD.” 

The statement comes after Rashad received forceful backlash for cheering on Cosby, who was released from prison on Wednesday after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated his sexual assault conviction, saying a previous deal he made with a prosecutor should have precluded it. 

“FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!,” Rashad tweeted alongside a picture of Cosby. She later deleted the post and tweeted out another emphasizing her support for survivors of sexual assault. 

I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth. Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.

— Phylicia Rashad (@PhyliciaRashad) June 30, 2021

Rashad recently became the dean of fine arts for her alma mater Howard University, and on Friday she also sent an apology to the students and their parents about her comments. 

“My remarks were in no way directed towards survivors of sexual assault. I vehemently oppose sexual violence, find no excuse for such behavior, and I know that Howard University has a zero-tolerance policy toward interpersonal violence,” she wrote in her letter. 

Howard University said in a statement that Rashad’s initial tweet “lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault.”

pic.twitter.com/UqiGznSkiJ

— Howard University (@HowardU) July 1, 2021

Rashad, who starred alongside Cosby on both “The Cosby Show” and “Cosby,” had previously defended her former co-star, who has been accused of sexual assault by more than 60 women.