Phylicia Rashad Called out by Gretchen Carlson After Bill Cosby Reaction

Gretchen Carlson has called out Phylicia Rashad, the long-time TV wife to Bill Cosby‘s Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show, after she tweeted out her public support of Bill Cosby following the comedian’s release from prison. “Phylicia! #BillCosby being released from prison on a technicality is a complete miscarriage of justice & will never be an exoneration for the brutal crimes he committed against women,” she wrote in response to Rashad’s tweet. “The world is now woke & women will no longer be silenced. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Rashad tweeted her support for Cosby saying, “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!” She also shared a photo of the elderly actor. Her declarations prompted a huge backfire from social media as many put her on blast for the statement. It would seem Rashad knew the message wouldn’t be received well since she turned off the commenting ability on the post. The actress has stood by her former co-worker and friend for years. In 2015, she told Showbiz411: “What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it’s orchestrated. I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy. 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.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s conviction on Wednesday (June 30) after ruling that the prosecutor who brought up the case was obliged by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge the comedian. He’s since been released and has returned to his Elkins Park home in Pennsylvania. It also found that the evidence used in the trial should not have been admitted in the trial and could have “tainted” the proceedings. Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting an employee of his alma mater, Temple University in 2015. He was taken into custody just days before the statute of limitations was reached on the case. Cosby has maintained his innocence since his arrest and conviction. While in prison, he even went so far as to refuse to participate in a sex offenders’ rehabilitation program inside the facility –– which he knew could possibly have meant he would serve the maximum sentence.

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.