Bill Cosby responds to blacklisting allegations
Posted by Media Outrage on July 24, 2008
Bill Cosby has responded to these allegations made by actor Terrence Howard.
Via Eurweb:
Responding to an article first published by WENN and reprinted here at EURweb; Bill Cosby called our own Lee Bailey to set the record straight regarding allegations that he once tried to blackball/blacklist actor Terrence Howard.
“I don’t like something being out there that I know for sure isn’t true,” said Cosby, explaining his reason for contacting us yesterday afternoon.
As previously reported, Howard was quoted as saying he confronted Cosby to ask why his small guest role on “The Cosby Show” ended up on the editing room floor. Howard explained: “I told him, ‘I’m a man just like you.’ He didn’t like it, and the casting agent [Hughes Moss Casting] never took my calls again.” Howard said he didn’t get another Hollywood gig for the next four years.
Cosby told us he has no recollection of the conversation with the 19-year-old Howard, does not remember Howard coming to his office and has never attempted to prevent any actor from booking gigs, strictly out of spite.
“There’s no person that I know of that I’ve ever felt strongly enough to call – even [to] the Hughes Moss people – and say, ‘If this guy calls, don’t book him again,’” Cosby told EUR. “And I don’t like what’s out there because I think with today’s media, there’s a ton of life a piece can have.
Cosby said he called Howard, who was in Italy, to find out why he (Howard) made those comments.
“The young man said to me on the phone, ‘Mr. Cosby, [in] the conversation we had, you gave me information that was valuable,’ recalls Cosby, adding that Howard said he “tells people this.”
“I said ‘Well yeah, Terrence, but look, this is out there. And then you say, “You’re a man just like I am,”‘ and he didn’t [have anything to] say about that. And I said, ‘They’re making it sound like I blackballed you.’ And I said, ‘Terrence, there’s no way that you can prove that.’”
Asked by Bailey if Howard ever denied saying the quotes from the WENN article, Cosby replied, “He didn’t say that he didn’t say it. What he said was, ‘Mr. Cosby, the information you gave me was sort of like priceless, and it was a lesson in the business. You said son, things like this will happen.’ And I do know he said, with people on the phone, he said that I told him to keep trying, keep plugging. That’s what he said.”
Bailey told Cosby that he received a call from Howard’s publicist denying that the actor ever said what was printed in the WENN story, and requesting that the article be taken down immediately. Bailey declined, as there was no proof that the story was false, and instead asked the rep to provide a statement from Howard denying the story so that EUR could post it as his official response. Bailey said the publicist told him, “We’re not prepared to do that.”
“Somewhere, there’s something missing,” Cosby said. “And that is somebody saying either I never said those things, or, I’m sorry. And it’s taking too long. And these blogs go out, man. I don’t want people looking at Bill Cosby talking about, ‘I had people barred.’ It just gets too far out.”
Cosby put us in contact with Barry Moss, who says he, too, doesn’t remember the comedian coming to him with orders to blackball an actor. He tried calling Howard after finding out about the drama yesterday, but had not received a call back as of press time last night.
“I have a call in to my other assistant to see if she remembers anything, but I certainly don’t, and I know that if this had happened, it would’ve gotten in to me,” Moss told Bailey in a separate phone call. “I mean I know that if she had talked to him and not me, she would’ve told me about it. So I don’t know what the bottom of this is. If Terrence does call me, I’ll find out.”
Mediaoutrage- Interesting. Well someone seems to be telling an untruth. Who’s lying? Do you believe Terrence or Cosby?
July 24, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Bill is how old…he is like 70 or something? My grandpa can’t remember who the hell spoke to him yesterday…much less I don’t remember who I spoke to on the street a year ago!
Of course Cosby doesn’t remember a dam thing he is old!
July 24, 2008 at 4:00 pm
His old a$$ don’t remember this ish……
July 24, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Like who cares Cosby doesnt have that much credit with me any way .
July 24, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Bill and I used to smoke weed and eat pudding pops in Germantown (n.Philly) back in 1965. We used to call them Reefers back then.
July 24, 2008 at 4:05 pm
What I’d like to know is why is Terrence bringing this ish up!
WTF really cares..he got an Oscar nod and no matter how fcked up his hair cut or how much he dresses like my great Uncle Johnny he still is eye candy for some chics!
Terrence needs to let it go and Bill needs to do Jello Pudding Pop commercial or something!
July 24, 2008 at 4:10 pm
LOL @ DT
July 24, 2008 at 4:13 pm
When we would be on the stoop he would talk about his TV show and We just be out there all day smoking and talkin shit…then he stopped cussin went white and got rich. But man, we used to do it back then
July 24, 2008 at 4:14 pm
@lol DT this shit is funny keep the story going!
July 24, 2008 at 4:20 pm
We used to call him Slick Willie back in philly in those days…He even took my bit when he used to roll my eyes in the back of his head…that was me back in 64′ gettin head off of a Sam Cook record…fuckin basterd stole all my shit!
July 24, 2008 at 4:22 pm
LMAO @ DT “Slick Willie..”
July 24, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I think it is a bit much for Bill to make a call about a “Nobody” at the time. I mean really,…the effort that it would of took to do what Terrance said that Bill did. Terrance must of thought very highly of himself that he thinks that Bill would of done that because of those comments. I am pretty sure he was not the first to say that to him. Don’t get my wrong I like Terrance but I think his Ego may need to be trimmed along with his edges. I’m just saying
July 24, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Terrence comes across as a highly confident man (or should I say an arrogant a$$ hole)!
July 24, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I’ll second that Ms. E
July 24, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I admire both gentlemen. Let’s move on.
July 24, 2008 at 8:27 pm
LMAO! @ “When we would be on the stoop he would talk about his TV show and We just be out there all day smoking and talkin shit…then he stopped cussin went white and got rich. But man, we used to do it back then”
went white and got rich lol
July 24, 2008 at 8:27 pm
i mean come on, this is bill cosby, cliff huxtable. why the hell would he waste precious braincells remembering this shit. he is like 150. he dont remember his last meal.
July 25, 2008 at 12:27 pm
LOL @ 1coolazzchic
August 10, 2008 at 10:41 pm
hi, andar here, i just read your post. i like very much. agree to you, sir.