(CelebrityAccess) — Comedian Bill Cosby suggested that racism and 'piling on' were partly responsible for the dozens of sexual misconduct allegations that have been leveled at him in recent years.
Cosby made the statements during a rare interview with Sirius XM radio host Michael Smerconish, just ahead of the start of his trial, which goes to jury selection next week. As a condition of the interview set by Cosby, Sirius broadcast prepared statements from Cosby's daughters Ensa and Erinn, who initially raised the suggestion of a racial motivation behind the accusations.
When Smerconish pressed Cosby on if he agrees with his daughter's point of view, he said: "Could be. Could be. I can't say anything, but there are certain things that I look at, and I apply to the situation, and there are so many tentacles. So many different — 'nefarious' is a great word. I just truly believe that some of it may very well be that."
Smerconish countered, noting that the women accusing Cosby have been both black and white, Cosby responded: "Let me put it to you this way — when you look at the power structure, and when you look at individuals, there are some people who can very well be motivated by whether or not they're going to work. Or whether or not they might be able to get back at someone. So, if it's in terms of whatever the choice is, I think that you can also examine individuals and situations and they will come out differently. So, it's not all..not every.. but I do think that there's some."
When Smerconish questioned Cosby about the sheer scale of the numerous women who have made similar allegations against him, Cosby suggested that his accusers were jumping on a sexual assault bandwagon and was perhaps intended as a way to generate publicity.
"I think that the numbers came because the numbers prior to the numbers didn't work," Cosby said, referring to previous class action suits that were settled out of court.
"So, the piling on, so to speak, is a way — and certainly an impressive, impressive way — to get public opinion to come to the other side," he added.
During the interview, Cosby also disclosed that he was not planning to take the stand in his own defense during the trial.
"I just don't want to sit there and have to figure out what I believe is a truthful answer as to whether or not I'm opening a can of something that I — my lawyers are scrambling," Cosby told Smerconish. – Staff Writers
