Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Cosby's fictional son Theo Huxtable on the family series, opened up to Billboard Magazine about the 77-year-old's ongoing sex scandal. The 44-year-old actor said it has been "painful" to watch his former co-star deal with sexual assault allegations that have been made against him by more than a dozen women.
"He's one of my mentors, and he's been very influential and played a big role in my life as a friend and mentor," Warner told Billboard. "Just as it's painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it's just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this."
Warner, who was recently nominated for a Grammy for his spoken-word contribution to Robert Glasper's "Black Radio 2," explained why the 77-year-old comedian has had such an impact on his life and praised Cosby for his contributions to comedy, television and the black community - describing his work as "legendary" and "invaluable."
"I can't really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there," Warner continued. "The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people. What he's done for comedy and television has been legendary and history-making. What he's done for the black community and education has been invaluable. That's the Bill Cosby I know. I can't speak on the other stuff."
Warner isn't the first "Cosby Show" alum to speak out in support of Cosby regarding the sex scandal. Phylicia Rashad, who played Cosby's TV wife, and Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Rudy Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," also commented on the Cosby claims.
"Whoever is involved, those are the people who were there. I wasn't there," Pulliam said in an interview with Access Hollywood. "I can only speak to the great man that I know and love, who has been so generous, who has been such a philanthropist, giving back millions of dollars to education and schools. And just the man I grew up knowing. It's really not my place to speak on that. Unfortunately, in the court of public opinion everyone has formed their opinion, but we're still in America and you're innocent until proven guilty of any crimes."
