Tragic Details About The Cosby Show Cast

The following article contains references to sexual violence.

For several decades, Bill Cosby was on top of the world. On "The Cosby Show," which ran for nearly 200 episodes across eight seasons between 1984 and 1992, he played Cliff Huxtable. He was a loving father to a family full of quirky kids, teaching them important life lessons even as he got into shenanigans of his own. The show was so beloved, so wholesome, and so popular that Cosby was frequently called "America's Dad," inspiring millions through his trailblazing depiction of a Black family on network television.

Decades later, the show's legacy has taken some serious blows. Cosby himself has faced massive legal trouble, having been credibly accused and convicted of sexual assault by numerous women. The Supreme Court even made a decision on Cosby's prosecution. He is not the only one to have run into trouble in the years since "The Cosby Show" went off the air, though.

Stories about Bill Cosby's behind-the-scenes behavior had existed only as rumor for a very long time. He'd even been sued for it in the 2000s, but it wasn't until the 2010s that the case broke wide open. In 2014, comedian Hannibal Buress performed a bit in which he complained about Cosby's lecture-heavy public persona. "He gets on TV, 'Pull your pants up black people, I was on TV in the '80s. I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom,'" Buress said (via The Daily Beast). "Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches. 'I don't curse onstage.' Well, yeah, you're rapist."

The joke picked up steam online, and as more people learned about what Cosby had been accused of doing — much of which involved drugging women and sexually assaulting them while they were unconscious — more and more victims came forward. In 2015, The Cut published an in-depth conversation with 35 accusers. The publication also noted a deposition in which Cosby admitted to drugging women when he wanted to sleep with them. "I used [Quaaludes] the same as a person would say, 'Have a drink,'" Cosby confessed.

The stories published in The Cut were harrowing, and it's beyond tragic that it took so long for people to listen to them. Former model Linda Brown, for example, revealed that she'd been drugged and assaulted all the way back in 1969. "I kept it a secret because I was so ashamed and embarrassed about allowing something this horrible to happen to me," she said. Brown came forward in 2015 alongside other women, saying, "There is strength in numbers."

Following Hannibal Buress' standup set about Bill Cosby in 2014, dozens of accusers came forward. But tragically, it took until 2017 for Cosby to stand trial. Although that trial ended with a hung jury, he was retried in 2018 and found guilty of three counts of aggravated assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Temple University employee Andrea Constand. She told the court, as reported by The New York Times, "We may never know the full extent of his double life as a sexual predator, but his decades-long reign of terror as a serial rapist is over."

While some fans and former co-stars of Cosby seemed more concerned with the damage the case had done to his legacy than what he had done to the women, Judge Steven T. O'Neill had strong words for the actor during his sentencing. Condemning Cosby to three to 10 years in prison, O'Neill told him, "It is time for justice. Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The day has come. The time has come. ... Fallen angels suffer most."

When Bill Cosby was finally locked up following a long history of allegations that he drugged and raped women over decades, many felt justice had finally been served. 

In 2021, however, Cosby's sentence was cut short as his conviction was overturned. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that prosecutors had offered Cosby a plea deal that they didn't uphold, thus violating his due process rights. He was released from prison having only served two years of his sentence and because the conviction was overturned, many of his accusers felt as if no justice had ultimately been delivered. While Cosby and his supporters celebrated his freedom, his accusers were tragically left picking up the pieces, wondering what the stunning reversal said about their efforts to hold him accountable.

Victoria Valentino, for example, told CNN that she was outraged by the decision. "My stomach is in knots," she said. "The work that we have done to uplift women has been overturned by a legal glitch. We now have a serial predator on the street." Heidi Thomas told CNN that she worried about the effect this would have on other cases. "I think it takes so much courage to come forward in the first place," she said. "I'm terrified that people aren't going to come forward because they won't want to go through this."

In the wake of the shocking revelations about Bill Cosby, the cast of "The Cosby Show" was frequently asked to speak about their experience working with the once-beloved comedian. While several cast members chose to remain silent or to express their support for Cosby's victims, two cast members sparked major controversy when they seemed to be focused on all the wrong angles of the tragic story.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo Huxtable, told Billboard ahead of Cosby's conviction, "Just as it's painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it's just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this." He went on to talk about Cosby's legacy, remarking, "What he's done for comedy and television has been legendary and history-making. What he's done for the Black community and education has been invaluable. That's the Bill Cosby I know." That all may be true, but the Cosby that his accusers know is someone altogether different.

Phylicia Rashad's criticism of the situation was even more strongly worded. "What you're seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it's orchestrated," she told Showbiz411 in 2015, suggesting that a conspiracy was out to destroy her friend. When Cosby was released from prison, Rashad sparked further fury by tweeting (via Entertainment Weekly), "FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!" Fans were understandably unhappy. Rashad later deleted that tweet and clarified, "I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth." 

On "The Cosby Show," Malcolm-Jamal Warner played the son of Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) and Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad). Sadly, in July 2025, Warner encountered a terrible situation in the water while vacationing with his family in Costa Rica. "[Warner] appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current," the Judicial Investigation Agency revealed in a statement (via People). Additionally, the Costa Rican Red Cross told People, "Two people were dragged by a water current at the beach." By the time their paramedics arrived, Warner and another man had already been pulled out of the water by well-meaning bystanders. The other man, who was unidentified, was left in critical condition after the drowning incident, while Warner was pronounced dead at the scene. He was only 54.

Geoffrey Owens, who played Elvin Tibideaux on "The Cosby Show," shared a statement to Deadline about the loss of his co-star and friend. "This tragedy has almost left me speechless. Malcolm was a lovely man; a sweet and sensitive soul," he said. "He was generous, too. I did a theater project long ago and asked him to participate; and he was there for me."

Cosby also commented on Warner's death, telling ABC News that he'd continued advising Warner as a mentor. "Malcolm calls here regularly ... He was always a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much," he said.

"That's So Raven" star Raven-Symoné was very young when she played Olivia Kendall on the latter seasons of "The Cosby Show." She grew up to be one of the most beloved teen stars of her generation, thrilling kids on the Disney Channel as a clairvoyant version of herself. Since that show went off the air, she's been a part of the panel on "The View," returned to Disney for a follow-up show called "Raven's Home," and even gotten married in 2020 to Miranda Pearman-Maday.

Despite all of these gains, Raven-Symoné suffered the heartbreaking loss of her brother Blaize in 2023. She shared the news a month after it happened, thanking fans for their birthday wishes in an Instagram video in which she revealed how bittersweet her birthday had been. "He was battling colon cancer for about two years and he is in a better place now," she said. "He's loved and missed and the emotions that have been weaving in and out of my body and mind and my family, have been a roller coaster."

Unfortunately, a year later, Raven-Symoné suffered yet another tragic loss. She again took to Instagram to let fans know that her father, too, had died. "My life has been long and abundant. And the path I'm on started with a dream," she wrote in the caption alongside a photo of herself as a child with her arm around her father. "Hope he is watching with a smile on his face." She concluded the post with his name paired with a dove emoji.

Phylicia Rashad played the wife of Bill Cosby's character in "The Cosby Show." They had an enviable marriage, simultaneously building a strong foundation for their family while always able to share a laugh. Unfortunately, in her personal life, Rashad hasn't been as lucky in love. Her first marriage was to a William Lancelot Bowles Jr in 1972. They welcomed a son, Billy, a year later and ultimately divorced in 1975. After that, Rashad married Victor Willis, one of the original members of The Village People. That marriage ended, too, when they divorced in 1982. Decades later, Willis would make headlines all his own as the reason Donald Trump's inauguration was full of cringe dance moves.

Finally, in 1985, it seemed that Rashad had found the man who would be the love of her life. That's when she got engaged to the man whose last name we know her by, former NFL player and sportscaster Ahmad Rashad. He charmed the country by proposing to her on national television, telling People, "I figured that if I really loved this lady, I would have no problem proposing to her in front of all those people."

Tragically, that marriage too ended in divorce, too, with the two going their separate ways in 2001. When Phylicia filed for that divorce, she cited "abandonment" as the reason. Years later, speaking to Oprah Winfrey, she mused, "People should marry so that they can build a life together. I've been married three times, but I don't feel that I've ever been married once."

On "The Cosby Show," Keshia Knight Pulliam played the adorable, spunky Rudy Huxtable. These days, Pulliam still has a thriving career on television, though her roles have gotten significantly less adorable than she was on "The Cosby Show." If you're wondering what the "Cosby Show" kids look like today, just turn on Lifetime — Pulliam frequently stars in made-for-TV movies, many of which have titles like "Wife Stalker," "The Hillsdale Adoption Scam," and "Tempted By Danger."

In her personal life, Pulliam is married with children. Unfortunately, after giving birth to her daughter Ella Grace, Pulliam experienced a very frustrating racist incident at the hospital. She told the story in an episode of her podcast, "Kandidly Keshia", revealing that the lactation consultant assumed her economic status based on her race, telling her, "We have some great programs that you may want to take advantage of that you may need. Um, WIC is a great program" (via Essence). The Women, Infants, and Children, better known as WIC, program aims to provide healthy food to families in need.

Pulliam explained that the lactation consultant was also supposed to help with the physical process of breastfeeding for new moms. "They literally will like, guide your boob, show you how to hold it, put it in the baby's mouth," Pulliam explained. "This lady was not trying to touch my little brown boobie. Not at all."

Geoffrey Owens played Elvin Tibideaux, a doctor who eventually marries into the family thanks to his courtship of Sondra Huxtable (Sabrina Le Beauf) on "The Cosby Show." He wasn't an original cast member, but he wound up appearing in a majority of the series, starring in more than 100 episodes. Unfortunately, not everybody can turn a successful sitcom role into a career that provides for the rest of their lives, and in 2018, Owens found himself bagging groceries at Trader Joe's to support his family.

The tragic thing about this story isn't that a famous person had to take a normal-person job, though. Owens has no shame about that, telling "Good Morning America," "There's no job that is better than another. They might pay better, have better benefits, but actually, it's not better." The actual tragic part is that a shopper recognized him, snuck a photo, posted it online, sparking a deluge of hateful comments mocking Owens.

Things got so bad for Owens, in fact, that he had to quit his job. Karma Lawrence, the woman who snapped the photo, went on to apologize. She told NJ.com that she'd initially considered approaching him, but she didn't want to embarrass him at his job. "Then I did something that actually embarrassed him more," she said. "I didn't go with my first instinct, and I should've. ... I would tell him, 'I am extremely, extremely apologetic about what has happened.' And if I could take it back, I would."

Lisa Bonet was one of the most popular breakout stars from "The Cosby Show." She played Denise Huxtable, one of several daughters, and Bonet was young, pretty, and talented enough that they eventually gave her her own spinoff. She led the cast of "A Different World," a sitcom that followed Denise to college.

Right around that time, Bonet met and married Lenny Kravitz, a marriage that would produce their daughter Zoë. Unfortunately, Bonet had to deal with the wrath of her TV dad Bill Cosby, who was outraged by her decision to have a child while still playing an unmarried college student. In fact, her pregnancy was the reason Bonet was fired from "A Different World." Cosby reportedly told her, "Lisa Bonet is pregnant, not Denise." She eventually returned to "The Cosby Show" for another few seasons, and "A Different World" continued on without her.

Bonet is decidedly not one of the "Cosby Show" cast members who continued to defend the family patriarch in light of the sexual assault allegations against him. Instead, she told Net-a-Porter that she had no interest in making excuses for him. "There was no knowledge on my part about his specific actions," she said, "but ... There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).