Bill Cosby

William Henry Cosby Jr. is an American comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture and gained a reputation as "America's Dad" for portraying Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show. He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his career, many of which were revoked following sexual assault allegations made against him in 2014.

Cosby began his career as a standup comic at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco during the 1960s. He released several standup comedy records throughout the decade, which consecutively earned him the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album from 1965 to 1970. He also had a starring role in the television crime show I Spy opposite Robert Culp. Cosby made history when he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1966, making him the first African American to earn an Emmy Award for acting. His acting career continued as he starred in the sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, which ran for two seasons from 1969 to 1971.

In 1972, using the Fat Albert character developed during his standup routines, Cosby created, produced, and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which ran until 1985, centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area.

Throughout the 1970s, Cosby starred in various films, including Sidney Poitier's Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Let's Do It Again (1975), and Neil Simon's California Suite (1978) alongside Richard Pryor. He also starred in the original cast of The Electric Company alongside Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman from 1971 to 1973. He was also a popular spokesperson for advertising for decades for various products, including the Jell-O ice pop treats Pudding Pop.

In the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in the television sitcom The Cosby Show, rated as the number-one show in America from 1985 through 1989. The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family. In addition, Cosby produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993.

He also starred in The Cosby Mysteries (1994–1995) and the sitcom Cosby (1996–2000) and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998–2000). He created and produced the animated children's program Little Bill (1999–2004). George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.

Cosby has been the subject of numerous sexual assault allegations, which became highly publicized in 2014 after Hannibal Buress brought them back into the public spotlight during a standup routine, prompting more women to come forward with accusations. Following the allegations, media organizations pulled reruns of The Cosby Show and other television programs featuring Cosby from syndication.

In 2018, he was convicted of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand. He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for violations of Cosby's 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights. Cosby's legal issues have continued following his release from prison.

Cosby has received various awards and honorary degrees for his work as a standup comedian and actor in both television and film, including five Primetime Emmy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 and the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2003. He also received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977.

Due to the sexual assault allegations against Cosby, numerous awards and honors have been rescinded, including the Kennedy Center Honor that he received in 1998 and was rescinded in 2018, as well as the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which he received in 2009 and was rescinded in 2018. On May 3, 2018, Cosby was expelled as a member of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, along with Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein, due to their breach of the Academy's standards of conduct.