“Very sad day”: Disgraced star Bill Cosby offers support to rapist Harvey Weinstein
<p>Convicted sex offender Bill Cosby has shared a statement in support of Harvey Weinstein, claiming the movie executive’s rape trial was not fair and saying his conviction marked a “very sad day”.</p>
<p>The disgraced comedian’s publicist Andrew Wyatt took to Instagram to release a statement which questioned where “wealthy and famous men” can “go in this country to find fairness and impartiality”.</p>
<p>Yesterday, Weinstein was convicted of raping a former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and sexually assaulting a slew of other women in 2013.</p>
<p>Cosby’s account suggested the verdict was “not shocking” – but he placed the blame on the legal process.</p>
<p>He said because jurors were exposed to media coverage of the high-profile case, they were swayed by “the sentiments of public opinion”.</p>
<blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B89geHGnjfT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12">
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<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
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<p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B89geHGnjfT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Official Statement From Andrew Wyatt Regarding The Verdict Of Harvey Weinstein: This is not shocking because these jurors were not sequestered, which gave them access to media coverage and the sentiments of public opinion. There’s no way you would have anyone believe that Mr. Weinstein was going to receive a fair and impartial trial. Also, this judge showed that he wanted a conviction by sending the jurors back to deliberate, after they were hung on many of the counts. Here’s the question that should haunt all Americans, especially wealthy and famous men...Where do we go in this country to find fairness and impartiality in the judicial system; and where do we go in this country to find Due Process? Lastly, if the #metoo movement isn’t just about Becky [White women], I would challenge #metoo and ask them to go back 400+ years and tarnish the names of those oppressors that raped slaves. This is a very sad day in the American Judicial System. #FreeBillCosby #FarFromFinished #DueProcess #JusticeReform</a></p>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/billcosby/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Bill Cosby</a> (@billcosby) on Feb 24, 2020 at 11:17am PST</p>
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<p>“There’s no way you would have anyone believe that Mr Weinstein was going to receive a fair and impartial trial,” said the statement.</p>
<p>It also suggested the judge “wanted a conviction" as he told jurors to spend more time deliberating when they had been hung over some of the charges.</p>
<p>“Here’s the question that should haunt all Americans, especially wealthy and famous men … where do we go in this country to find fairness and impartiality in the judicial system,” read the statement.</p>
<p>It was then accompanied by hashtags including “#FreeBillCosby” and “#FarFromFinished”.</p>
<p>In 2018, Cosby was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to serve three to 10 years in prison.</p>
