Bill Cosby plans to start touring in 2023
Bill Cosby plans to start touring next year, despite being convicted in 2018 of sexually assaulting a woman. After five women filed another sexual assault lawsuit against the 85-year-old comedian, the news comes just weeks later.
“Roughly around spring, summer or late summer” of 2023 is when Cosby’s publicist and crisis manager, Andrew Wyatt, says the tour is tentatively scheduled to occur.
“We have so many supporters, I mean hundreds of thousands, just asking for him to do a show,” Wyatt said. We have many promoters across the country.” He is in high demand by many people.
After the #MeToo movement, nearly 60 women came forward to accuse Cosby of sexually assaulting them. The sexual assault trial against Cosby was led by the national movement — which sought to hold abusers in the entertainment industry accountable for sexual harassment and assault.
In 2018, Cosby was found guilty by a Pennsylvania jury of three counts of aggravated indecent assault, for drugging and sexually violating a woman in his Cheltenham, Pa., home in 2004. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated his conviction in 2021 and he was released from prison.
Earlier this month, five women, including two actors from The Cosby Show, filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Cosby using a new New York law known as the Adult Survivors Act. This law lets victims sue abusers even after the statute of limitations expires.
Wyatt told NPR that he does not think the pending lawsuit will affect Cosby’s ability to go on tour.
Wyatt said that people have looked at the allegations and information and that it is a money grab.
Andrew Cuomo said
“New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said,” The Adult Survivors Act was signed by Kathy Hochul in May, creating a yearlong window for adult victims of sexual assault to sue their abusers, regardless of when the assault occurred. The state enacted the Child Victims Act in 2019, a similar law for child sexual assault victims.
After signing the Adult Survivors Act into law, Hochul said, “The fight against sexual assault requires us to recognize the impact of trauma within our justice system.” I am proud to sign this legislation as part of our collective responsibility to protect one another and create an environment that makes survivors feel safe.