Despite having multiple shows canceled around the country, Bill Cosby performed in front of a sold-out crowd in Melbourne, Florida on Friday night. VPC
Comedian Bill Cosby performs during a show at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Fla., Friday night.(Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP)
MELBOURNE, Fla. — Embattled comedian and actor Bill Cosby took the stage to a standing ovation here Friday night, performing before a sold-out crowd after defending his public silence as more women accused him of sexual assault.
Cosby did not mention the allegations to the Melbourne audience during his 90-minute set at the King Center for the Performing Arts.
"I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn't have to answer to innuendos," Cosby said in a backstage interview with Florida Today prior to his show. "People should fact check. People shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to innuendos."
Cosby said that recent offers of cash and prizes to heckle his performance only feed a "frat house mentality."
"So today I was informed of this radio station that is offering money for people to stand up and heckle in order to collect prizes and money," Cosby said.
"The thing is, these people are prodding and pushing people and asking people to have a frat house mentality. Now suppose someone brings a weapon or decided to do more foolishness. There will be announcements made and the stations made some disclaimers, but what if people don't listen to what they said and they entice violence. That's not good for anyone.
"When you go to a civil rights march or something like that, at least there are meetings and some organization to it and people understand how to behave. There may be people coming to the show that don't know exactly what to do; there is no organization to it all."
Meanwhile, Cosby lawyer Martin Singer said Friday that the claims of women with "unsubstantiated, fantastical stories about things they say occurred 30, 40 or even 50 years ago have escalated far past the point of absurdity."
"Over and over again, we have refuted these new unsubstantiated stories with documentary evidence, only to have a new uncorroborated story crop up out of the woodwork," Singer said. "When will it end? It is long past time for this media vilification of Mr. Cosby to stop."
Cosby's appearance here drew early-bird arrivals by fans and the national media. There were a couple dozen media trucks and vans outside the arena, and a news helicopter circled overhead. But there were few protesters.
Bonnie Linden of Melbourne offered support for Cosby and said she suspects that the women leveling accusations against him are motivated by money.
"I love him," Linden said. "He's doing something good, He wasn't convicted of anything."
People line up for Bill Cosby's soldout show at the King Center in Melbourne, Fla., on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. Video by Craig Rubadoux.
David Love of Melbourne was seeing the show with friends.
"I hope he can be Bill Cosby. I hope he can be himself," Love said.
"I think the man's a decent man — but you never know how somebody is behind closed doors, right? I'm hoping with these allegations, there's no validity to them."
Near the King Center entrance, Rockledge resident Julie LeMaitre displayed a white posterboard sign saying "Rape Is No Joke."
Security officers asked her to move to the sidewalk. She was surrounded by television cameramen during her trek.
"I consider myself a feminist. I want to make sure that these woman know that they are being listened to," LeMaitre said.
LeMaitre said Cosby should publicly address the accusations leveled against him.
John Glisch, spokesman for Eastern Florida State College where the King Center is located, said school officials had not heard of any specific protest plans. However, they added extra security workers and Melbourne police officers.
King Center officials booked Cosby's show in July 2013, Glisch said. Tickets went on sale in late April, and he said the 2,000-seat venue sold out fast.
In the past week, numerous allegations of sexual abuse by Cosby from a number of women have led to canceled interviews and NBC and Netflix projects. Repeats of The Cosby Show also were pulled on TV Land. Cosby issued a statement Sunday discrediting decades-old accusations and his attorney has denied four of the allegations.
Friday, news broke that promoters had canceled Cosby's upcoming performances in Nevada, Illinois, Arizona, South Carolina and Washington State.
Neale and Nunez also report for Florida Today; contributing: The Associated Press
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