Bill Cosby remains tight-lipped about sexual assault allegations

Bill Cosby remains tight-lipped about sexual assault allegations

Source : Philly News

Comedian/actor Bill Cosby performs at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino on September 26, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Cosby remained tight-lipped about recently resurfaced sexual assault allegations during an interview that aired on NPR's "Weekend Edition" Saturday morning. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Bill Cosby remained tight-lipped about recently resurfaced sexual assault allegations during an interview that aired on NPR's "Weekend Edition" Saturday morning.

In the interview, which was taped last week, Cosby met host Scott Simon's repeated queries about the accusations with silence.

Cosby simply shook his head when asked if he had any response to the claims, according to Simon's narration.

Cosby and his wife Camille agreed to speak to the radio show to discuss lending 62 pieces from their art collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

The broadcast came a day after Cosby's upcoming appearance on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" was canceled amid a growing uproar over allegations that he sexually assaulted several women in past decades.

Cosby representative David Brokaw confirmed Friday night that Cosby would not appear as previously scheduled next Wednesday. He did not say why. A "Late Show" representative could not be reached for comment.

Another canceled booking, on "The Queen Latifah Show" on Oct. 30, was characterized by that show as a postponement granted at Cosby's request.

Barbara Bowman, one of Cosby's accusers, has recently leveled allegations of sexual assault by the comic in interviews and in a Washington Post online column, writing that "Cosby won my trust as a 17-year-old aspiring actress in 1985, brainwashed me into viewing him as a father figure, and then assaulted me multiple times."

Her claims first came to light in 2004, when she was one of 13 women asked to testify in a civil suit filed against Cosby by another alleged sexual assault victim, Andrea Constand.

Cosby was never criminally charged in any of the cases.

Though the suit was settled two years later for an undisclosed amount, Bowman went public with her allegations in a series of media interviews.

Her claims drew renewed attention last month, when stand-up comedian Hannibal Burress called Cosby "a rapist" during a performance at the Trocadero.

The scathing routine, captured on video and posted online by Philadelphia Magazine author Dan McQuade, rapidly ignited a social media firestorm.

In her recently-penned Post column, Bowman questions why it took nearly a decade for the allegations to cause an outcry.

Cosby received a taste of the building backlash Monday, when he posted a picture of himself on Twitter and asked the public to "meme" him.

The campaign backfired, as users quickly flooded it with sexual assault-related jibes.

The 77-year-old actor and comedian has repeatedly declined to comment on the recent resurgence of allegations.

That reluctance could harm Cosby in the court of public opinion, particularly when it comes to social media, public relations consultant Howard Bragman told CNN's "The Lead" earlier this week.

"At some point, he's got to be willing to go on the air, on the record, and say, 'these charges are not true – this is nothing I would do,'" Bragman said.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.