Even without legal proceedings, Cosby is finally paying a price. He may not be in handcuffs, but his career is taking a hit. Wednesday, TV Land announced that it will no longer air re-runs of The Cosby Show, and Tuesday both NBC and Netflix announced they are dropping Bill Cosby projects from their lineups.
It seems Cosby’s reign as America’s wholesome father figure is over. And while there are some who will defend Cosby, doing so won’t be as easy as it was five years ago. As The Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates noted, “Believing Bill Cosby does not require you to take one person’s word over another — it requires you take one person’s word over 15 others.”
Until an alleged victim steps forward who can pursue legal avenues of justice, public shaming may be the only mechanism available. It’s not necessarily justice for these women, but at least it’s something.