Movie maker Judd Apatow thinks a pair of Canadian theaters should cancel appearances by disgraced comedian Bill Cosby amid accusations of sexual assault, the New York Daily News said.
The producer-director called out Toronto’s Center in the Square and London, Ontario’s Budweiser Gardens on Twitter Friday. “Are you really going to let Bill Cosby perform on your stage January 7?” Apatow tweeted to Center in the Square’s account, the report said.
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The “This is 40” director sparked a heated debate between Cosby supporters and those calling for the embattled comic’s shows to be canned. “Is Cosby only popular in Ontario Canada at this point? Do people still find him delightful after 30 accusers?” Apatow asked, according to the Daily News.
Several Twitter users questioned Apatow’s anti-Cosby comments. “I guess it’s because guys who rape a lot aren’t cool, ” Apatow said in defense of his online outburst.
When Cosby supporters said the former TV star should be considered innocent until proven guilty, Apatow said the 77-year-old would need “30 alibis, ” to defend himself, the report said.
More than 20 women have accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them over the course of several decades. A number of the women claim Cosby drugged them by spiking their drinks. Cosby has not been charged criminally and has maintained his innocence, the Daily News said.
While many venues scheduled to host the comic have pulled the plug on his performances, Cosby received a standing ovation at a Melbourne, Florida appearance. At least 16 of his scheduled 77 shows have been scrapped or postponed, the report said
A blog post on the Center in the Square’s website said the decision to let the show go on is up to Cosby’s management.
“The Centre takes very seriously the concerns raised by patrons and the local community, ” the post explained. “This is a rental show and CITS is contractually obligated to move forward with the show unless it is cancelled by the external promoter.”
Backers of a Canadian fundraising event for survivors of sexual assault scheduled for the same night as Cosby’s Toronto appearance showered Apatow with praise for his comments. Organizers of the benefit for Women’s Crisis Services and the Sexual Assault Support Centre at the Dallas Nightclub in Kitchener, Ontario have offered free entry to their event to anyone with tickets for the Cosby show, the Daily News said.
