Prepare to be horribly disappointed in Theo.
In an interview with Billboard magazine released today, Bill Cosby’s protege and former co-star spoke out in defense of his TV dad.
Unfortunately, he did so by likening Cosby’s plight to the trauma suffered by sexual assault victims.
“Just as it’s painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not,” Warner said in a recent interview with Billboard. “It’s just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this.”
We’re gonna go ahead and assume that the comment was made out of ignorance rather than malice, but the fact remains that Warner is making Cosby out to be the victim.
Is it worse than when Phylicia Rashad told us to “forget” Cosby’s accusers? Or when Evin Cosby attacked the women in an online tirade?
It might be, because in his effort to remain subtle while shaming the (alleged) victims (“whether true or not”), Warner has effectively diminished the suffering of all sexual assault victims.
We’re hoping for a Rashad-style clarification and apology in the very near future, but we’re thinking it’s too little too late and our love for Theo died a sad, permanent death today.