The soul singer Jill Scott has said she was wrong to lend her support to Bill Cosby last year, after he was accused of multiple sexual assaults against women.
In November, when Scott was asked to sign a petition to call on Temple University in Philadelphia to end its relationship with Cosby, who had been a donor to the institution, she replied: “So they’ve proven the alleged allegations? I don’t know. Will they also be giving him back the millions he’s donated.”
After some of her followers criticised her response, she came back with a more vigorous defence, tweeting: “U know Bill Cosby and this is insane. Proof. Period” and then “I’m respecting a man who has done more for the image of Brown people tha[n] almost anyone EVER. From Fat Albert to the Huxtables”.
On Monday, however, it emerged that in 2005 Cosby gave a court deposition in which he admitted under oath that he had procured Quaaludes – a powerful sedative – with the intention of giving them to women he wanted to have sex with.
That has prompted Scott to publicly renounce her support for the 77-year-old comedian and actor, saying “his own testimony offers proof of terrible deeds”.
About Bill Cosby. Sadly his own testimony offers PROOF of terrible deeds, which is ALL I have ever required to believe the accusations.
— ⭐Jill Scott⭐ (@missjillscott) July 6, 2015
1) We live in America. Many African American men are detained &/or imprisoned for crimes without evidence. I will never jump on bandwagons
— ⭐Jill Scott⭐ (@missjillscott) July 6, 2015
2) based on social media or hearsay. Proof will always matter more than public opinion. The sworn testimony is proof. Completely disgusted.
— ⭐Jill Scott⭐ (@missjillscott) July 6, 2015
I stood by a man I respected and loved. I was wrong. It HURTS!!! When you get it ALL right, holla.
— ⭐Jill Scott⭐ (@missjillscott) July 6, 2015
Reasoning with the angry & unreasonable? No. I'm not sorry for standing by my mentor. I'm sorry the accusations Rtrue pic.twitter.com/8oHD9u12em
— ⭐Jill Scott⭐ (@missjillscott) July 7, 2015
However, her change of tack did not appease her critics. Many people responded by asking why it took the knowledge of Cosby’s admission rather than the accusations made by more than 40 women to get her to withdraw her support for him.
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