Bill Cosby lent his support to rapist Harvey Weinstein on Monday, asking ‘where do wealthy and famous men find fairness’ before blasting the #MeToo movement as racist.
The shamed comedian, 82, instructed his spokesman to issue a public statement, calling disgraced movie producer Weinstein’s conviction ‘a very sad day’.
Weinstein was convicted by a New York jury of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in his apartment in 2006 and raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a hotel room in 2013.
It was the most high-profile sex assault conviction in the United States since Cosby was found guilty in 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 15 years prior.
Cosby’s spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, posted a statement to Instagram arguing ‘there was no way Mr. Weinstein was going to receive a fair and impartial trial’.
Wyatt said Cosby was outraged over Weinstein’s conviction and called him repeatedly about it on Monday.
Bill Cosby, right outside court in 2017, lent his support to rapist Harvey Weinstein, pictured left on Monday, asking ‘where do wealthy and famous men find fairness’ before blasting the #MeToo movement as racist
The shamed comedian, 82, instructed his spokesman Andrew Wyatt to issue a public statement, calling disgraced movie producer Weinstein’s conviction ‘a very sad day’
The post continued: ‘This is not shocking because these jurors were not sequestered, which gave them access to media coverage and the sentiments of public opinion.
‘There’s no way you would have anyone believe that Mr. Weinstein was going to receive a fair and impartial trial.
‘Also, this judge showed that he wanted a conviction by sending the jurors back to deliberate, after they were hung on many of the counts.’
Cosby is currently serving a three to ten year sentence in Pennsylvania for sexual assault
Cosby added: ‘Here’s the question that should haunt all Americans, especially wealthy and famous men…Where do we go in this country to find fairness and impartiality in the judicial system; and where do we go in this country to find Due Process?’
He ended his statement of support for Weinstein by blasting the #MeToo movement as racist. Cosby added: ‘Lastly, if the movement isn’t just about Becky [White women], I would challenge and ask them to go back 400+ years and tarnish the names of those oppressors that raped slaves.
‘This is a very sad day in the American Judicial System.’
The Time’s Up foundation, formed in the wake of the Weinstein case, celebrated the outcome as marking ‘a new era of justice.’
‘Abusers everywhere and the powerful forces that protect them should be on notice: There’s no going back,’ it said in a statement.
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct since allegations against him ignited a global reckoning against men abusing positions of power in October 2017.
But with many claims too old to prosecute, the jury considered charges related to just two: ex-actress Jessica Mann and former production assistant Mimi Haleyi.
The predatory sexual assault charges included testimony from ‘The Sopranos’ actress Annabella Sciorra, who said Weinstein raped her in her New York apartment in the winter of 1993-94.
Six women took the stand to say they had been sexually assaulted by Weinstein.
Weinstein was convicted sexually assaulting Haleyi and raping Mann. He was acquitted of the two most serious counts of predatory sexual assault, which each carried a potential life sentence.
He was also found not guilty of first degree rape in relation to Mann.
Weinstein, who arrived at court using a walker for much of the trial, now faces a 29-year prison sentence, sealing his dizzying fall from powerful Hollywood studio boss to archvillain of the #MeToo movement.
When the jury of seven men and five women handed down their verdict after five days of deliberations, Weinstein told his lawyer: ‘I’m innocent. I’m innocent. How can this happen in America?’
On Monday, following his conviction, Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital Center after suffering chest pains.
Film producer Harvey Weinstein is handcuffed after his guilty verdict in his sexual assault trial
In this courtroom sketch, Harvey Weinstein, center, is led out of Manhattan Supreme Court by court officers after a jury convicted him of rape and sexual assault on Monday
Cosby is currently serving a three to ten year sentence in Pennsylvania for sexual assault. He was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in 2018 for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his home in January 2004.
He has also been accused of rape and sexual assault by over 60 women.
This is not the first time Cosby has shared his thoughts from behind bars.
Earlier this month he rushed to thank rapper Snoop Dogg for calling for his freedom as they slammed Gayle King for trying ‘to tarnish the legacy of successful black men’ after the CBS presenter brought up Kobe Bryant’s rape allegations.
Snoop Dogg responded to the thanks by saying ‘Love u uncle bill’ and reposted Cosby’s comments along with a picture of them both.
On Father’s Day in 2019, he tweeted to say he is ‘America’s Dad’ leading to plenty of backlash from angry Twitter users.