I don't know if I should believe the allegations of rape by Bill Cosby and this posting is not about whether they're true or not. It's about how if even two of those surfaced about most other stars, that other star's career would be kaput, over, bye-bye. But multiple, similar claims against Cosby have been around for years and not only has no one arrested him, I don't think any talk show ever didn't invite him on or mention them.
The Queen Latifah Show apparently just canceled an upcoming Cosby appearance…though I believe the official story is that he asked to postpone. That and some reported cash settlements with accusers seem to be the only damage Mr. Cosby has sustained.
Like you, I love Bill Cosby the Performer and perhaps a little of that love is protecting him. Mostly, I would imagine it's that we've never heard talk of an actual arrest or prosecution. If we hear about the allegations at all — and many people have not — a little part of our brain thinks, "I don't want to believe that about Bill Cosby…so I won't until the cops come for him. If they don't, maybe it's not what they say."
We can all understand why some victims in such a situation would be reticent to push for prosecution. The Cos is a beloved and powerful person. He could easily afford lawyers and detectives who would go through an accuser's past with a microscope. If he were ever to go on trial, a media circus is more than likely with TMZ and other outlets milking it for every drop. It might be very hard to put such a horrendous incident behind you if you became notorious as The Woman Who Accused Bill Cosby.
We don't always treat rape victims well in this society. In the O.J. Simpson case, the prosecutors and investigators had their reputations assaulted, too. Maybe some of them are a little leery of engaging the kind of legal team William Henry "Bill" Cosby could afford.
As you can probably tell, this whole thing bothers me a lot, starting with the fact that if he is guilty, there's a good chance he can get away with it in terms of the law. But I'm also amazed that he's gotten away with it as much as he has in the court of public opinion. Thirteen accusations? My God.