Bill Cosby, AKA Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable of the acclaimed “The Cosby Show” is a world famous comedian, actor, and producer with a staggering net worth of $400 million. He was born on July 12, 1937. Cosby grew up in Philadelphia, PA and left school at the young age of 15 to join the Navy. He eventually earned his diploma and went on to earn a doctorate in Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Cosby’s stand up career began in the 1960’s in Philadelphia which eventually led to national exposure on The Tonight Show. Between the years of 1965 and 1987 Cosby won seven Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Performance.
Cosby’s success in stand up led to TV roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and series I Spy. For those shows he won three consecutive Emmy Awards. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that Cosby would become one of the most influential men in television with the launch of The Cosby Show. It was considered a turning point in modern television whereby an African American family in America was portrayed as affluent having the same types of problems, worries, and concerns as any other family. At the time it was unheard of. Cosby’s raw style of comedy and honest approach to family led to the show being one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. It ran from 1984-1992 and is one of only two sitcoms to remain at the top of the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive seasons.
His second sitcom, Cosby, aired from 1996 – 2000 and during this time, Cosby also returned to his stand-up roots, hosting programs such as Kids Say the Darndest Things, as well as several game shows. He also became a popular spokesman, representing brands like Jell-O, Kodak, Ford, and Coca-Cola. Cosby has been married to wife Camille since 1964, and the couple have four daughters and one late son.
However, for the past 15 years a dark cloud has risen above Bill Cosby. It began in the year 2000 when Cosby was accused of sexual assault and rape. Cosby has denied the allegations stating that the incidents were consensual. He’s never been criminally charged but in 2015 over 30 women have come out accusing the comedian. While most of the acts alleged by his accusers fall outside of the statute of limitations for legal proceedings, Cosby does have two pending lawsuits against him, including one for defamation of character.
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