Bill Cosby was set to star in an unnamed comedy project for NBC, but multiple rape allegations have resurfaced from his past and new ones have come to light, causing the Cos to be jettisoned.
NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks told the Associated Press that Cosby’s project “is no longer under development.” Variety reported the same thing earlier Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
TV Land has also announced reruns of “The Cosby Show” will stop airing immediately and for an indefinite time.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, “NBC never received the final script for the project, which also didn’t have a production commitment.”
Apparently, though, Cosby still gets a healthy chunk of change.
“In a sign of Cosby’s clout, the NBC deal calls for the network to pay a hefty penalty fee directly to Cosby if the project did not get ordered as a pilot,” Variety’s story asserts.
Cosby’s upcoming Netflix special has also been sidelined in the wake of a scandal that seemed to have been buried until it resurfaced in a very public way after remarks made during a Philadelphia standup set by comedian Hannibal Buress went viral.
“It’s just information that’s out there,” Buress recently told radio personality Howard Stern of his unexpectedly explosive comments. “I said it and I gotta stand on it, but it is an interesting situation.”
To say the least.
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