(NewsNation) — Raven-Symoné has weighed in on Bill Cosby, saying she separates his sexual assault allegations from his cultural impact.
The Disney Channel alum was on the “Hate to Break It to Ya” podcast where she spoke about Cosby, with whom she starred on “The Cosby Show.”
“Separate the creator from the creation,” she said. “And that’s just where I live. The creation changed America. Changed television.”
She added, “He’s also been accused of some horrific things. That does not excuse, but that’s his personal (life). So personally, keep that there, and then business-wise, know what he did there as well. Like you said, both can live, and I think our culture is right to… don’t do wrong. Don’t do wrong personally. You just can’t do wrong.”
The “That’s So Raven” actress joined “The Cosby Show” in 1989, playing Olivia Kendall when she was three years old.
Bill Cosby’s sexual assault allegations
Cosby has been the subject of sexual assault allegations since 2004, but it was in 2014 that these allegations gained widespread public attention, with women accusing the comedian of sexual assault and rape.
He was sentenced to 3 to 10 years for three counts of aggravated indecent assault in 2018, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 2021 due to a prior agreement with prosecutor Bruce Castor.