Just in case there was any doubt: NBC has no plans to work with Bill Cosby. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
The troubled comedian's planned NBC comedy project was canceled in November, and today, NBC president Robert Greenblatt told reporters that he can't see the network working out another deal in the future.
When asked if it's safe to say NBC wouldn't work with Cosby again, Greenblatt quipped, "I think it's safe to say."
As for why the network decided to pull the plug on Cosby's planned sitcom return, and why it wasn't done sooner, Greenblatt explained, "Fifteen women came out and accused [Bill Cosby] of having done what they accused him of doing. While over the years, we'd heard some of those accusations and we knew there were a couple of settlements and what not...it didn't seem to be the sort of thing that was critical mass. When we realized that there seemed to be so much more of it, it wasn't something that we could just go, 'Oh, we're not sure.' He hasn't been proven guilty of anything, so I don't want to be the one that says guilty until proven innocent, but when that many people come out and have similar complaints and it becomes such a tainted situation, there was no way that we could move forward with it."
In November, Netflix also yanked plans to air Bill Cosby 77, a standup special that was to air on his 77th birthday.
Despite facing hecklers and protesters at his most recent stand-up performances, Cosby released a statement Thursday that he is "far from finished" with his North American comedy stand-up tour:
"Dear Fans: I have thousands of loyal, patient and courageous fans that are going to leave their homes to enjoy an evening of laughter and return home feeling wonderful. I'm ready!" Cosby said. "I thank you, the theatre staff, the event organizers and the Colorado Community for your continued support and coming to experience family, fun entertainment."
He added: "Hey, Hey, Hey -- I'm Far From Finished," citing the name of his 2013 TV standup special, his first in 30 years.
Decades-old rape allegations against the former Cosby Show star resurfaced after comedian Hannibal Buress called Cosby a rapist during a standup set. More headlines were made when women who had made the allegations against Cosby started speaking out in the press. To date, the 77-year-old comedian has been accused of sexual assault by some 20 women. Cosby and his legal team have consistently denied all allegations of sexual abuse, and the Cosby Show patriarch has never been criminally charged in any case.