Bill Cosby Breaks Silence After Prison Release, Maintains Innocence

On Wednesday, it was reported that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had overturned Bill Cosby‘s sexual assault conviction. Hours later, he was released from prison. Now, Cosby is speaking out about the matter for the first time on social media.

Cosby took to his official Twitter account to share a message. In his post, he wrote that he has “never changed” his “stance” on this matter. He continued, “I have always maintained my innocence.” The comedian ended his message by issuing his gratitude to his “fans, supporters and friends” and to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for “upholding the rule of law.” Cosby’s message came alongside a photo of him raising his fist into the air.

Cosby appeared before reporters earlier in the day. Although, he let his legal team do the talking. During his first on-camera media appearance since his release from prison, a member of his legal team said that their client was “extremely happy” to be home. At one point, another member of the team referred to Cosby’s time in prison as “unwanted three-year vacation that Mr. Cosby never asked for.” While Cosby did not share any remarks during this interview, he did smile along while his legal team spoke.

This surprising news about Cosby’s prison sentence was revealed on Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined that Cosby had an agreement with a previous prosecutor connected with the case that would have prevented him from being charged. They also took issue with some of the testimony that was given during the trial. In particular, they raised concerns about how six of Cosby’s other accusers gave their testimony during the trial. The accusers’ allegations fell outside of the statute of limitations. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court expressed that their testimony could have “tainted” the trial.

Cosby was originally convicted in 2015 of drugging and molesting an employee from Temple University, his alma mater, at his estate in Pennsylvania. However, with the new information that the Supreme Court shared, they decided to overturn that conviction. As a result, Cosby was released from prison on Wednesday. He has since traveled back to his home in Elkins Park, PA.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.