In light of horrifying rape allegations against the comedian and actor, NBC has reportedly opted to drop Bill Cosby's upcoming sitcom, numerous sites are reporting. It seems that NBC has yet to comment on the news, but, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the network made the decision shortly after Netflix announced that they would be "postponing" Cosby's upcoming stand-up special, Bill Cosby 77. (Cosby, for his part, continues to deny the claims via his lawyer, who called them "discredited allegations.")
As previously reported, horrifying accounts alleging Cosby was involved in the rapes and sexual assaults of multiple women have come to light recently, sparked by a recent stand-up performance by comedian Hannibal Buress last month. In the special, Buress commented on the rape accusations that have followed Cosby's career for years (though they were, somehow, pushed under the rug until now). After Buress' comments went viral, multiple women began stepping forward with accounts of Cosby allegedly raping them, including model Janice Dickinson. Though Cosby was never charged with anything relating to the alleged crimes, the details are horrifying.
Though some reports speculate that NBC may announce the news of Cosby's sitcom being scrapped similarly to Netflix — that is, saying it was "postponed" — Deadline reports that sources at the network have stated the "move is permanent."
The sitcom, which was supposed to be produced by the same man behind The Cosby Show, Tim Werner, would have starred Cosby as a wise family patriarch.
