When thinking of Judd Apatow, the phrase "comedic genius" comes to mind. After all, the filmmaker is responsible for some of the best comedies in recent history: Bridesmaids, Superbad, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall — just to name a few. Another fitting title, though? Tireless advocate for sexual assault victims. Ever since the Bill Cosby sexual assault scandal first surfaced in November, there were plenty of people hesitant to believe it. Up until recently, many celebrities defended the man that they grew up watching as Dr. Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Meanwhile, Judd Apatow stood up for the alleged victims from the very beginning, often speaking out on Twitter. Now, Lena Dunham is defending Apatow on the same social media site for his unflagging determination.
In a series of tweets posted on July 12, Dunham (who stars on the Apatow-produced Girls) perfectly summed up the filmmaker's admirable advocacy for Cosby's alleged victims. To date, there have been more than 30 women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault. Last week, a 2005 deposition revealed that Cosby admitted to purchasing Quaaludes with the intention of giving them to women he planned to have sex with, and that he reportedly gave the drug to at least one woman.
After that news broke, the public has been taking the allegations much more seriously (although you'd think that 30 women speaking out was enough of a reason to listen). While it's a bit frustrating that it's taken this long, it's great to see the victim's voices finally being given validity, and it's thanks in part to Apatow's continued support.
Here's Dunham's take on the matter:
YES, LENA. All of her tweets are incredibly important. It's admirable that Judd Apatow didn't back down from defending the alleged victims, even when so many others — including his fellow comedians — were hesitant to step up or speak up on the subject. There's all too common a notion that many women are lying about or making up their sexual assaults, and as a result, their words are sometimes not taken seriously.
Of course, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But that doesn't mean the voices of alleged victims should automatically be dismissed, either. Dunham is right — it's great that Apatow is an "angry hairy feminist." And it's equally awesome that pals like the Girls star have his back.
Another friend of Apatow's who has given an opinion on the matter? Amy Schumer, whom he recently worked with on Trainwreck . On an episode of Inside Amy Schumer in May, Schumer's sketch about a Cosby trial was total perfection. See for yourself below:
As for the other side, here's Cosby's lawyer's statement from November:
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.
In response to the 2005 deposition recently being released, Cosby's team released the following statement:
The only reason Mr. Cosby settled was because it would have been embarrassing in those days to put all those women on the stand and his family had no clue. That would have been very hurtful.
As the troubling case continues, it's good to see celebrities like Apatow, Dunham, and Schumer using their platform to speak about what matters, regardless of any backlash they receive.
