Bill Cosby will no longer be silenced. The star appeared in a pre-taped interview on ABC's Good Morning America that aired Friday, in which he rambled in response to questions regarding allegations of sexual assault from more than 30 women.
The 77-year-old actor is in Alabama this week to speak with high school students on behalf of the Black Belt Community Foundation's campaign to improve education in the south-central part of the state. During the interview, Cosby was asked how he would respond if a young person pressed him about accusations that he drugged and sexually assaulted a number of women over a number of decades.
"I'm not sure that they will come like that," Cosby, who has never been criminally charged, told ABC's Linsey Davis. "I think many of them say, 'Well, you're a hypocrite. You say one thing. You say the other.' My point is, 'OK, listen to me carefully. I'm telling you where the road is out. You want to go here or you want to be concerned about who is giving you the message?'" Though he's denied every claim via his laywers, this was the first time he'd adressed such matters on TV.
However, Cosby didn't address specific sexual assault claims made against him.
The comedian currently faces two pending lawsuits.
Cosby said he fears that the allegations made against him will overshadow his charitable endeavors, explaining that he's never seen anyone in show business treated the way he's been treated. "I have been in this business 52 years and I've never seen anything like this," he said. "Reality is the situation and I can't speak."
When questioned about what his legacy might be, the former Cosby Show star responded, "I really know about what I'm going to do tomorrow. I have a ton of ideas to put on television about people and their love for each other."
The rest of Cosby's interview with Davis will air tonight on ABC's Nightline.