|
 Cosby, 77, took the stage to a standing ovation and gave the
audience a thumbs up at the King Center in Melbourne. The
90-minute show concluded without incident.
Police patrolled the venue ahead of the show, while a handful of
protesters joined some attendees outside the center.
"I don't want it reported that nobody cared, said Julie LeMaitre,
47, who carried a sign that said, "Rape is no joke."
Although the show was sold out, there were patches of empty
seats, including eight in the center of the orchestra section.
The show went ahead despite the cancellation of Cosby's Las
Vegas performance next week and four other shows in Arizona,
Illinois, South Carolina and Washington state next year. With
NBC and Netflix also dropping projects with the comedian this
week, the allegations have threatened Cosby's wholesome public
image and future viability in show business.
Still, many ticketholders said they had no qualms about
attending the comedian's performance.
"It's his personal life, and I don't really care," said
Melbourne resident Russ McDonald, 62, a retired teacher.
Cosby has more than 30 performances, including a Nov. 29 show in
Yakima, Washington, scheduled through May. He performed without
incident on Thursday in the Bahamas.
He has refused to address questions about the allegations as
more women have come forward, saying he forced himself sexually
upon them, some accusing him of drugging them before.
The comedian has never been charged and his lawyers have said
the assault claims were "discredited" and "defamatory."
[to top of second column] |
Cosby's publicist did not respond to a message on Friday seeking
comment.
The allegations against Cosby have jolted generations of Americans
who knew him as an actor who broke race barriers on TV over the last
50 years, most notably as the admired father Dr. Cliff Huxtable on
NBC comedy "The Cosby Show."
This week, Therese Serignese, a Florida woman, said Cosby assaulted
her in 1976. Model Janice Dickinson, the most high-profile accuser,
also told the "Entertainment Tonight" TV program that she believes
Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1982.
(Reporting by Barbara Liston in Florida and Eric Kelsey and Piya
Sinha-Roy in Los Angeles; Edited by Mary Milliken, Chris Reese, Alan
Crosby and Ken Wills)
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