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Raven-Symone is being bashed online after supporting her former costar Bill Cosby, despite the numerous sexual assault accusations he’s faced in the past decade.
Nov. 6 2025, Published 4:52 p.m. ET
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Raven-Symoné got blowback for defending her former costar Bill Cosby on the “Hate to Break It to Ya” podcast, released on Monday, November 3.
Addressing her feelings about Bill Cosby, who is best known for The Cosby Show, following his sexual assault allegations, she said, “That’s just where I live. The creation changed America. Changed television.”
“Separate the creator from the creation,” she added.
Cosby played beloved TV dad Cliff Huxtable on the show he co-created, which ran for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. The massively popular, Emmy-nominated sitcom centered on an upper-middle-class Black family living in New York — making history as it broke down negative racial stereotypes.
The actress portrayed Olivia Kendall from 1989 until the show’s conclusion. She was just 3 years old when she joined the cast.
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Raven-Symoné is facing criticism for her supportive comments of Bill Cosby.
The That’s So Raven star, 39, added, “He’s also been accused of some horrific things.”
“That does not excuse, but that’s his personal [life]. So personally, keep that there, and then business-wise, know what he did there as well,” she continued. “Like you said, both can live, and I think our culture is right to…don’t do wrong. Don’t do wrong personally. You just can’t do wrong.”
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Bill Cosby’s Legacy Has Been Tarnished by Sexual Assault Allegations
Bill Cosby served less than three years in prison following his September 2018 conviction.
Cosby, 88, was convicted in September 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his home in Elkins Park, an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, in 2004.
The former stand-up comedian, who was always associated with a wholesome, family-man image, has also been accused by upwards of 60 women for various offenses, including rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Cosby was later released from prison in 2021 after serving less than three years when the conviction was overturned.
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People Are Angered by Raven-Symoné’s Supportive Comments
Bill Cosby was released from prison in 2021.
Raven-Symoné has been receiving backlash since expressing her views regarding the disgraced TV star and The Cosby Show’s impact.
One person referenced her That’s So Raven character’s ability to see the future, writing, “Please Raven, use your premonition before talking.”
Another person added, “Just adding to her legacy of saying idiotic things,” while a third chimed in with, “queen of bad takes.”
Comments online reveal disgust at Raven-Symoné’s take on Bill Cosby.
A fourth person wrote, “I don’t have a problem with people who CAN separate the art from the artist, but people like Cosby don’t deserve that.
They added, “The number of people he has harmed with his actions… I understand the show made a cultural impact, but it’s not fair to the victims (of which he has MANY) to use this argument, it’s basically a diet version of ‘he didn’t do anything wrong in my eyes’ and it’s still nasty.”