Could Kanye's Twitter Have Been Hacked?

Tuesday afternoon, rapper Kanye West caused on uproar when he posted "BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!" on Twitter. The tweet, posted to West's official, verified Twitter account on Tuesday at 4:25 p.m. ET, is a controversial one, to say the least — to date, over 50 women have accused Cosby of drugging and/or sexually assaulting them — and has many fans wondering if, perhaps, Kanye West's Twitter account could have been hacked and the tweet about Cosby possibly a result of that. Over the years, the 38-year-old artist has become well-known as someone who always speaks his mind — but, considering the subject matter, this tweet shouldn't be taken lightly. Judging by the reactions of those on Twitter, many fans are hoping this tweet could be the work of hackers and not actually represent his personal views.

It's worth noting that the tweet in question has not been deleted as of yet, and West has made no indication that his account was compromised — so it's not clear whether or not he was, especially considering the fact that West continued to tweet after the Cosby post.

Does West really subscribe to this point of view, then, and support Cosby? Soon after the Cosby tweet was posted, fans began to question its legitimacy:

It's not clear what West was getting at with his tweet — he offered no context or reasoning other than the three words — just as much as it's not clear if West's account could have been hacked. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that this tweet should never have gone up in the first place.

Back in November 2014, when numerous allegations against Cosby began to be made public, Cosby's former lawyer Marty Singer released a statement in regards to the claims of sexual assault against Cosby:

Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work. There will be no further statement from Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives.

Bustle has reached out to West's rep for comment, but has not yet received a response.