Phylicia Rashad Sparks Backlash for “Horrible Enabler’s Take” Defending Bill Cosby

After Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court overturned Bill Cosby‘s sentencing earlier today, The Cosby Show‘s Phylicia Rashad sparked backlash for celebrating the news.

“FINALLY!!!!” Rashad wrote, also sharing an image of Cosby. “A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!”

Rashad, who turned comments off on the post, is — and has been for the past few years — an outlying voice of support for Cosby. Twitter users were quick to tear into Rashad’s tweet, shaming her “horrible enablers take.”

“Phylicia’s response here is not surprising but it is disappointing,” wrote one Twitter user, “given her role as an academic dean charged with the welfare of her students, some of whom will be survivors.”

In years past, Rashad has come to Cosby’s defense amidst the slew of allegations made against him. In a 2015 interview with ABC News, the actress brushed off the accusations, calling the situation an “obliteration of legacy.” This came after several accusations of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, and other misconduct were made against Cosby. In 2018, Cosby was found guilty of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to three to ten years in prison — but today, those charges were overturned and Cosby has been released from prison.

The actress starred as a main character of The Cosby Show for all eight seasons it aired, from 1984 to 1992 on NBC. Rashad won a couple of People’s Choice Awards and an NAACP Image Award for her performance as Clair Huxtable.

Rashad was recently appointed to Dean of Howard University’s Fine Arts College and is expected to star in the upcoming Creed sequel. She also currently stars on This is Us as Carol Clarke.