Following various sexual assault accusations against Bill Cosby, the disgraced actor and comedian has faced serious consequences in his life. As his retrial is about to take place, he is now finding that many of his former supporters are distancing themselves from him and Ohio State University is just the latest of these.
In 2001, Cosby was awarded an honorary degree from Ohio State University when he delivered a speech at a commencement ceremony. The establishment has now decided to revoke this degree in light of recent events relating to the actor’s inappropriate conduct.
This could be described as an unprecedented decision by the university as it is the first time they have ever revoked this honor. Although this is a first in the school’s history, it is not the first time that Cosby has had to face such a situation.
He has received many honorary degrees in the past from a variety of institutions. These have included Fordham University, the University of San Francisco, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin College, Baylor, Tufts, and Boston University. Since various allegations against Bill Cosby have been made public, each of these educational establishments has made the decision to revoke his honorary degrees.
According to reports by the Associated Press, a spokesperson for Ohio State has clarified their decision by declaring that the entertainer has violated the university’s values and principles and that this is something that the actor has admitted.
Leading up to having his honorary degrees revoked, Cosby was accused of sexual assault by in excess of 50 women. Many of these are historical allegations and the incidents have allegedly taken place over several decades. Some incidents reported have included claims by his accusers that the entertainer laced their drinks with a drug called Quaaludes and he used drugs to give himself The opportunity to take advantage of them.
Ever since the first allegation was made, the actor has repeatedly denied that any inappropriate incidents ever took place. However, there is some evidence that suggests otherwise. CNN obtained an old deposition in which Cosby admits in a statement that he has previously used drugs as a means of having sexual relations with a woman.
Bill Cosby’s initial trial ended in June 2017. At his first trial, there were 50 hours of deliberations that took place before a jury of 12 jurors reached a deadlock on all charges. Last week, a new jury of 12 jurors was officially selected. His retrial will take place in Philadelphia.
Prior to the allegations, Bill Cosby was a much loved and admired veteran of the entertainment industry. His career as an actor and comedian spans six decades and he is best-known for his sitcom ‘The Cosby Show’. He is also a family man as he has been happily married to Camille Olivia Hanks since 1964 and they have homes together in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. They have five children together and three grandchildren. Sadly, their only son, Ennis, was murdered in 1997 and their daughter, Esna, die of renal disease earlier in the year.
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