Black Twitter drags troll who said Phylicia Rashad ‘enabled’ Cosby
It was a different kind of Mother’s Day “gathering” when Black Twitter formed like Voltron to school a user trolling “Cosby Show” mom Rashad.
It was a Mother’s Day “gathering” of a different kind when Black Twitter formed like Voltron to school a self-proclaimed “Twitter historian” who trolled beloved The Cosby Show actress Phylicia Rashad Sunday.
Lisa Talmadge tweeted: “Claire Huxtable was an enabler of the longest and most prolific drug rape predator In US history, Bill Cosby. Everyone on set knew he was a sadistic predator. Everyone. 75 women drugged and raped by Cosby and he got away with it because of enablers.”
Fans of Phylicia Rashad defended her like family when the actress made famous for playing the beloved matriarch on “The Cosby Show” for years was the subject of targets on Twitter. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
She posted the tweet on Mother’s Day, when Rashad’s name was trending as the best mom on television.
Talmadge used her famous character’s name to try to blame Rashad for the actions of her now-infamous co-star, and the Black Twitterverse was not having it.
“1) Claire Huxtable is a fictional character,” one user wrote in a popular reply. “2) Phylicia Rashad is an actress & not responsible for Bill Cosby’s actions. She worked with him professionally that’s it. 3) Stop trying to blame a BW for this Rapist’s actions. Bill Cosby is responsible for his transgressions!”
Read More: National Bail Out Collective frees Black moms, caregivers for Mother’s Day
The user, @Livelovelina93, continued: “4) You are quick to condemn this black woman, (without even addressing her by her real name) for acts that she had no knowledge or part of. For what reason? You will not disrespect or demean Phylicia Rashad, her career or reputation with baseless allegations!” She capped off the tweet with a popular GIF of Iyanla Vanzant forcefully declaring, on her OWN show, Iyanla, Fix My Life, “Not on my watch!”
“Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen have helped hundreds, maybe even thousands, of Black women succeed in life and better themselves over the last 50 years,” another tweeted. “What has Lisa Talmadge done for Black women?”
Read More: Ma’Khia Bryant hoped to return to mom before she died in foster care system
Talmadge has since deleted her controversial tweet, but it lives on in screenshots.
Rashad did initially defend Cosby in 2015 when the allegations against him first resurfaced, and she has been accused of equivocation when addressing the issue, which she does infrequently. She has asked people to compartmentalize the iconic television show separately from the man who created it.
One Twitter user summed up the issue, writing: “Neither Claire Huxtable or Phylicia Rashad are responsible for Bill Cosby’s actions. She was his co worker and employee not his supervisor or co-conspirator in his crimes.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!
The post Black Twitter drags troll who said Phylicia Rashad ‘enabled’ Cosby appeared first on TheGrio.