The Me Too movement is an ongoing effort to report and shine light on incidents of sexual assault that might otherwise be overlooked. That’s why when new information is brought forward, it should be taken seriously.
Recently, lesbian comedian Rosie O’Donnell sparked discussion when she spoke out against Bill Cosby on Andy Cohen's “Watch What Happens Live” while chatting with host Andy Cohen and comedian Billy Eichner. Andy asks Eichner “anyone else we’d be surprised to know you’re blocked by?”, and Eichner responded by saying that Bill Cosby had blocked him, and said, “it’s for the best.”
Rosie opened up to Andy Cohen about a sexual harassment incident with Bill Cosby that took place in the 90’s when she had her popular “The Rosie O’Donnell Show”. Some might ask, why did Rosie wait so long to come forward with these sexual misconduct allegations?
Rosie explained that she tried to talk about it publicly when she was co-host on “The View”, but she said that, “they would not discuss it. Every time I tried to bring it up, it became a little fight.”
On the Bravo show, Rosie revealed to Andy and Billy via live video stream what happened that day when Bill Cosby appeared as a ‘Mystery Guest’ on her daytime talk show, when she would have celebrity guests appear.
Rosie explained how she discovered that Cosby was sexually harassing a female producer backstage. O’Donnell describes the producer as “a very tall, like six foot, larger woman,” and a “very great producer.”
She described the incident occurring when her staffer met Bill Cosby in the Green Room, and the producer saying, “you know she’s not going to know it’s you” and Bill responded with a lewd remark, “All she [Rosie] has to do is put her hand right here and she’ll know it’s me,” Bill said, putting his hand near his penis.
Rosie said that the female producer on her show, “started to cry and got up and left.” She said that the Executive Producer, an African American man had a “big discussion with Bill about what is appropriate and what is not.”
Cosby, the disgraced African American comedian who broke barriers with his 1965 show, “I Spy” is currently serving a three to 10 year sentence behind bars for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.
Bill Cosby’s spokesperson, Andy Wyatt, responded publicly via USA TODAY, saying that Rosie O’Donnell’s allegations were false and accused Rosie of trying to drum up media attention to herself for career purposes.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually harassed or assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at: 800-656-HOPE (4673).