During an interview at NATPE, the TV host comments on Bill's scandal, 'You go to Saudi Arabia and you need two women to testify against a man. Here you need 25.'
- Jan 22, 2015
AceShowbiz - Jay Leno added his voice to the critics against Bill Cosby. At the annual National Association of Television Program Executives conference on Wednesday, January 21, Jay was asked if he thought Bill's situation was sad.
"I don't know why it's so hard to believe women," the host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" replied, "You go to Saudi Arabia and you need two women to testify against a man. Here you need 25."
When asked about Larry Wilmore's new show "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore", Jay said the show was "terrific," adding, "Wilmore brings a different perspective. We need to see more women, more African Americans."
Jay later spoke about how Bill's scandal emerged after comedian Hannibal Buress called the 77-year-old comedian rapist during a stand-up show back in October. "I think this whole Cosby thing," he said, "Hannibal Buress started it. He's a stand-up comedian and he made a flat-out statement that reverberated around the world."
He added, "If that had been on television, it would have been edited. But because somebody would put the news out raw and unfiltered - which I think is fantastic - it was a great thing."
Jay's comments came after Larry took a jab at Bill's scandal in the second episode of "The Nightly Show". At that time, he said, "We'll ask the question did [Bill] do it? The answer will be yes. Is it just because they're women? Because I would say enough have come forward. The current tally stands at 35 women. How many more do we need? That's like if Bill Cosby drug and raped every U.S. President from George Washington to John. F Kennedy."
In other news, Bill's on-screen son on "The Cosby Show", Malcolm-Jamal Warner, defended the comedian in a new interview with Billboard. "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," Malcolm-Jamal told the site, "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."
He added, "I can't really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there. 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."
