Jill Scott came under severe fire earlier this year when she passionately defended Bill Cosby over the numerous accusations that he’d drugged and raped women for years. However, after a 2005 deposition was released revealing that Cosby had admitted to buying drugs with the intention of giving them to women before sex and that he’d done it before, Scott changed her tune and publicly announced that she would no longer defend Cosby. Now, in an interview with Power 105’s “The Breakfast Club,” Scott explains why she so vehemently defended Cosby.
While chatting with the radio hosts about Cosby’s rape scandal, Scott explained why she feels Black men who are artists and beloved by the world are in a dangerous position.
“Bringing a lot of light and attention to the prospect of a human being simply being a human being, coming from a Black man is dangerous, in my opinion,” Scott said.
“Look what happened to Michael Jackson. Look at what happened to Kevin Clash. I’m talking about Elmo. How he was so beloved by everyone. I’m not trying to dismiss that folks have done some terrible foul things. All men have proclivities,” Scott added.
Scott then explained how Cosby was a major source of inspiration to her and how she’s saddened by the trend that Black people of influence who fall from grace have their legacy erased as opposed to their White counterparts.
“I’m from North Philly. Bill Cosby is from North Philly. That man was like a father to me. He showed me everything about life that I did not see in North Philly. ‘Different World’ made me want to go to college. I appreciate and respect that legacy. Still … that’s a man. And I’ve always been about that with fame and famous people,” Scott said.
“Phil Spector (music producer), he killed a woman, tried and convicted but he’s still in the Hall of Fame. If I’m not mistaken Elvis liked them young. I’m not saying that this is right. I’m saying that all men have proclivities. And I really feel whatever is done to some, do to all. Don’t decimate the legacy of the good. [Are] you trying to tell me that regardless of how much good I do in the world, if I do something bad, everything else gets pushed away?” she said.
But that’s not all that Scott had to say about Cosby. Read the rest of her comments after the cut.
