Bill Cosby

William Henry Cosby Jr. (/ˈkɒzbi/ KOZ-bee; born July 12, 1937) is an American former comedian, actor, and media personality. Often deemed a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was well known in the United States for his stand-up comedy routines and television career before achieving global recognition for his portrayal of Cliff Huxtable in the sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992). He was also prolific in advertising for decades and was the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his career, many of which were revoked after dozens of allegations of sexual assault were made against him, starting in 2014 and culminating in a 2018 conviction for aggravated indecent assault.

Cosby began his career as a stand-up comic at the Hungry I nightclub in San Francisco in 1961, and primarily performed observational comedy in a conversational style. He released LP records of numerous standup specials starting with Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow…Right! (1963) and starred in the comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself (1983). Cosby still holds the record for winning the most Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, with seven wins. His acting career began with a starring role in the NBC secret-agent show I Spy (1965–1968), which broke new ground for African Americans when he made history by winning three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the first black actor to do so.

Cosby made his film debut starring in Man and Boy (1971) followed by Hickey & Boggs (1972), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Let's Do It Again (1975), A Piece of the Action (1977), Leonard Part 6 (1987), and Ghost Dad (1990). He produced and starred in a series of television sitcoms such as The Bill Cosby Show (1969–1971), Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1985) and The Cosby Show (1984–1992) as well as its spin-off A Different World (1987–1993), The Cosby Mysteries (1994–1995), and Cosby (1996–2000). He hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998–2000). During his prolific career he advertised numerous products including the Jell-O ice pop treats Pudding Pop.

Over 60 women have accused Cosby of various offenses, including rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Those allegations gained traction in 2014 after fellow comedian Hannibal Buress mentioned the allegations in a comedy set that went viral. Cosby has maintained his innocence. Although he had received numerous awards and honorary degrees, many of them were revoked following the allegations. Reruns of The Cosby Show and other programs featuring Cosby were pulled from syndication. In 2018, he was convicted of aggravated sexual assault against Andrea Constand. He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on the grounds that Cosby's 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights had been violated. In 2022, Cosby was found liable for having sexually assaulted Judy Huth when she was 16 years of age, and in 2026 was found liable for sexually assaulting Donna Motsinger in Santa Monica in 1972, and made to pay $19 million in damages.

William Henry Cosby Jr. was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia. He is one of four sons of Anna Pearl (née Hite), a maid, and William Henry Cosby Sr., who served as a mess steward in the U.S. Navy.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.