Bill Cosby’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will remain despite the comedian being jailed for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. Cosby, 81, was sentenced to three to 10 years behind bars after being labeled a “sexually violent predator” by a judge in Pennsylvania. However, his star, which was unveiled in November 1977, will not be removed.
With the former star of The Cosby Show on his way to prison, some wondered whether the star honoring him on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame would remain intact. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gave the following statement (via Deadline) following the sentencing:
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historical record of entertainment figures past and present. Once installed, the stars become part of the historic fabric of the Walk of Fame, a ‘designated historic cultural landmark,’ and are intended to be permanent. The stars only commemorate the recipient’s professional accomplishments. It is regrettable when the personal lives of inductees do not measure up to public standards and expectations; however, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce does not remove stars from the Walk of Fame.
Cosby’s star has been vandalized several times in recent years, most recently by a person who scrawled “serial rapist” over Cosby’s name. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce “has never removed a star from the Walk of Fame and turned down a 2015 request to remove Cosby’s star.”
Cosby was once known as America’s Dad for his role in 1980s sitcom The Cosby Show. He was convicted in April of assaulting Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia estate in 2004. It was the first celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.
Despite maintaining his star, there have been other repercussions for the actor in Hollywood. Cosby was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in May 2018, following his conviction. His only presence in the media has been for his trial. And there’s absolutely no chance of a post-scandal comeback for him at 81. And while his role as The Cosby Show’s patriarch will always remain an important part of TV history, his legacy will be forever tainted by his pattern of horrific crimes.
Source: Deadline
