MX23RW : Wednesday, April 24 08:01:19| >> :600:88677527:88677527:

Bill Cosby issues defiant statement after prison release

Bill Cosby issues defiant statement after prison release
© Reuters
Bill Cosby issues a statement following his release from jail in Pennsylvania, where he had been serving time for sexual assault.

Bill Cosby has said that the rule of law has been 'upheld' following his shock release from prison yesterday.

The 83-year-old comedian - once known as 'America's Dad' - had spent more than two years in a Pennsylvania prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in 2004.

More than 60 women had come forward to make allegations against Cosby, with many claiming that he had drugged and raped them over a period spanning decades, but due to statute of limitations only one accusation ever made it to court.

Cosby was originally sentenced to three to 10 years inside after being found guilty in that case, but in a ruling yesterday Pennsylvania's Supreme Court quashed the conviction on the grounds that Cosby had admitted to drugging women in exchange for immunity, which never came to pass.

In a statement on Twitter, he wrote: "I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence.

"Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law."

The court also ruled that Cosby cannot be retried in the specific case, effectively meaning that he will face no further action over the dozens of untried allegations against him.

ID:453521:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect1476:

Follow us on X/Twitter and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.

Media Mole April Offer: Get Sky Entertainment, Sky Stream & Netflix for just £23 a month + £0 upfront fee for 18 months!
Prices may change during this period. Ends 25th April 2024


Click here for more stories about Bill Cosby

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Bill Cosby is put in the slammer in September 2018
Read Next:
Bill Cosby released from jail after sex assault conviction overturned
>
Read more about Bill Cosby Entertainment
rhs 2.0
New TV Picks header

Wednesday, April 24


Race Across the World: BBC One, 9pm
The teams enter the third leg - but the last pair to arrive at the next checkpoint will be eliminated

Coronation Street: ITV1, 8pm
Toyah opens up to Nick about a hidden trauma, while naughty Todd has a nose at George's will

A Very British Sex Scandal: The Earl & the Escort: Channel 5, 9pm
The intriguing tale of the the murder of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury, and one of Britain's wealthiest men

Mayoral Debates: BBC One regions, 10.40pm
Local debates in select BBC One regions, including Tees Valley, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands