Bill Cosby's Reaction To R. Kelly's Guilty Verdict Is Raising Eyebrows
On September 27, R. Kelly was found guilty on eight counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering by a New York City federal jury, per The New York Times. Although sentencing isn't scheduled until May 4, 2022, it's quite possible that the R&B singer could spend the rest of his life in prison based on the charges. In the state of New York, racketeering and sex trafficking both carry a maximum sentence of 25 years, meaning that Kelly could be sentenced to 50 years in prison.
R. Kelly's lawyer Deveraux Cannick took a moment to react to the verdict. "Of course Mr. Kelly is disappointed," Cannick told reporters outside the courtroom the day of the trial, per REVOLT. "He was not anticipating this verdict because based on the evidence, why should he anticipate this verdict?" The attorney also claimed there were "inconsistencies" during the hearing, adding that witnesses allegedly gave "three, four, five different versions as to what they said happened here." He continued,"We said in our summation that the government cherry-picked their version that they thought would support the continuation of the narrative."
Of course, many have opinions on the guilty verdict, including disgraced comedian Bill Cosby, who has swiftly taken his defense.
Bill Cosby thinks R. Kelly was 'screwed' — and Twitter called him out
Speaking with the New York Post, Bill Cosby's spokesperson Andrew Wyatt shared the actor's opinion on R. Kelly's recent guilty verdict. "The deck was stacked against Robert," Wyatt said the day following the jury's decision. He also shared that Cosby feels like Kelly "got railroaded" and "screwed," and that "he wasn't going to catch a break." Cosby also thinks that Kelly's attorneys didn't do enough to defend him. "No one fought hard for him," Wyatt continued. "He also didn't have the resources and means, he should have asked for support from the court. He would have gotten better representation." Cosby's rep also commented on Kelly's music. "This is a guy who made the song 'I Believe I Can Fly' when there were rumors about young girls. The song played at every wedding and in every church. He was doing music with Lady Gaga!"
Unsurprisingly, Twitter immediately reacted to Cosby's questionable statements. "Bill Cosby could've just slithered away from prison," someone tweeted. "But no. Of course he's out here defending child sex trafficker R. Kelly." Another person asked, "In what realm of reality did Bill Cosby believe this remark would play out well for him?" Others are wondering why Cosby's opinion was needed at all. "Who thinks Bill Cosby should shut the f*** up when it comes to other sex crime cases?" another person tweeted.
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).