Bill Cosby was asleep in prison cell when his conviction was overturned
Bill Cosby had been asleep in his cell at a prison near Philadelphia when he was awakened with the news that the state’s highest court threw out his sexual assault conviction — and he could walk free, his rep said Thursday.
The 83-year-old disgraced comedian was initially confused when he received word of the bombshell ruling Wednesday, Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said.
“When he found out, he was asleep and the door just opened, an officer came in and said, ‘You’re free,'” Wyatt told reporters.
Cosby responded, “What are you talking about?,” to which the officer replied, “You’re going home,” according to Wyatt.
Wyatt said the unexpected ruling was celebrated by the other inmates — and even senior prison staff had “tears in their eyes” because “they thought he shouldn’t be here.”
“All the inmates were yelling, ‘Get out of here!,'” Wyatt claimed.
Cosby appeared with his lawyers outside his suburban Philadelphia home shortly after he was sprung on Wednesday, flashing peace signs to the gaggle of reporters.
Wyatt said the former star of “The Cosby Show” then had difficulty sleeping during his first night back in his own bed.
“This morning he said, ‘Andrew, I tossed and turned, because I was [thinking], “I hope this isn’t a bad dream — I hope this is real,”‘” Wyatt said.
Now, the fallen funnyman plans to return to performing on stage.
“He wants to get back to work,” his rep said. “He wants to get back on the stage. He’s got a story to tell.”
Cosby was freed in a stunning — and deeply divisive — decision by Pennsylvania’s highest court, which ruled that the actor was unfairly prosecuted for allegedly drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004.
He was found guilty in the case in 2018, and was serving a three- to 10-year sentence.
