Bill Cosby: Judd Apatow criticises Canadian events venues where comedian will perform in January 2015
The US film producer and director posted a series of tweets
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Judd Apatow has criticised two Canadian events venues at which Bill Cosby is scheduled to perform at the start of next year.
The US film producer and director took to Twitter to criticise Centre in the Square and Budweiser Gardens for going ahead with the shows scheduled for January, following accusations by numerous women that Cosby sexually assaulted them.
Apatow, known for the likes of Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, tweeted:
The Centre has posted a statement on its website that said it could not cancel the show due to a contractual agreement.
"The Centre takes very seriously the concerns raised by patrons and the local community. This is a rental show and CITS is contractually obligated to move forward with the show unless it is cancelled by the external promoter. Our response is not complacent or an attempt to pass on the blame," it said.
Apatow’s tweets sparked off a debate, with some users agreeing with him and others criticising him for attacking the comedian and actor, who has not been found guilty of any crime.
Cosby has denied previous allegations made against him. He has defended himself, saying that "people need to fact check". His lawyer has described the allegations as "decades old" and "discredited".
In 2006, Andrea Constand claimed that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in his Philadelphia mansion in 2004 - allegations firmly denied by his lawyers. Over 13 alleged victims were proposing to testify but the civil case with Constand settled in 2006. The terms of the settlement remain undisclosed.
This week it has been reported that Cosby has hired private investigators to "dig up dirt" on several women who have made accusations against him.
Mr Cosby’s lawyer, Martin Singer, suggested that the investigators were merely doing the work that the press had failed to, telling the New York Post: "You don’t need private investigators to find out information about the accusers. A simple Google search will obtain the information."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments