Bill Cosby’s name and statue have been removed from the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame. Inducted in 1992, his name no longer appears among its official list of honorees online. “All references to Mr. Cosby were removed from the website,” a spokesperson for the Academy stated..
A bust of Cosby that formerly graced the Academy’s outdoor Hall of Fame Plaza won’t be returning to view either. Cosby’s bust, like those of all the other of Hall of Fame recipients, was “removed during construction of the new Saban Media Center,” the spokesperson said, “and at the time it was announced that they would be rotated from storage into the courtyard. We have no plans to place Mr. Cosby’s bust in the courtyard.”
Removing a member of the TV Academy’s Hall of Fame is unprecedented, so it’s unclear what the procedure might be for such a move. Regardless, the scrubbing of Cosby’s name and bust is an indication the group is distancing itself from the actor-comedian.
As for The Cosby Show star’s TV Academy awards, which include four Primetime Emmys its Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, “We have no plans at the present time to rescind his awards,” the spokesperson said.
Once one of the most beloved figures in television, Cosby was convicted last week of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home 14 years ago. More than 50 other women also have accused him of similar crimes, including drugging and sexually assaulting them.
Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein was kicked out of the Academy in November after allegations surfaced that he had sexually assaulted numerous women. Cosby, however, can’t be kicked out because he “was never a member,” the spokesperson said.
Source: Deadline
