Contact:GloriaAllred
Phone:323‐653‐6530
Email:[email protected]
StatementofEdenTirl
Iwasachildwhen"FatAlbert"premieredin1972andinHighSchoolwhen"The
CosbyShow"airedin1984.IgrewupinfrontofmyGrandmother'stelevisionsetwatching
Mr.CosbyonJohnnyCarson.Hewasthe"Jello‐PuddingPop"man,and"thefirstblackman
ontelevision"todojustabouteverything.
Hismostsignificantgift,tomyteenageself,wasanewandmuchneeded
perspectiveontheblackexperience.Ihadgrownupinapredominantlywhite
neighborhood,butwasofmixedrace,andhadnomirrorsontelevisionthatIrelated
to...until"ADifferentWorld"and"TheCosbyShow"wereintroduced.
Formygeneration,Dr.Huxtablewasthefathereveryonewanted,blackorwhite.
ImetBillCosbybrieflyafteratapingof"TheCosbyShow"in1989.Ihadjustmoved
toNYCafterspendingthewintermodelinginEurope.Myagentknewofmydesiretobean
actor,wasfriendswithMr.Cosby,andinvitedmetotheshow.
ThefollowingmorningIhadanauditionfor"GhostDad".Aftermeetingmethenight
before,BillthoughtIwouldbeperfecttoplayoneofhischildren.Anarrayofshadesof
blacknesswerecaston"Cosby"toplayhischildren(whichIlovedandappreciated.)ButI
amverylightskinned...beingcastasoneofhischildrenseemedastretch.
BytheendofthedayIhadnotlandedtheroleinthefilm,ratherbeengivenapart
on"TheCosbyShow."Iwouldbeplayingacop.Iwas22,6feettall,andmodeling
consistently.Itseemedoddtobecastasadressbluescop?But,anopportunitytoworkon
the#1televisionshowinthecountry...Fantastic!
MyagentsharedthatBillwouldbecallingmyhome...thatnight.YesIwasangrywith
herforgivingoutmypersonalinformation.IalsorealizedthereputationIhadheardabout
Billmaybetrue.
Thephonerang,andontheotherend,aculturalicon.Ihadbeenaroundsomebitof
celebrityatthispointinmycareer,butthiswasBillCosby.Inthelate80's,intelevision...he
wasatitan.
Hewaswarmandfamiliarwithmeinstantly.Hechattedcasually,knowingquiteabitabout
me.KnewthatIwasfromMinnesotaandinquiredwhetherIwantedtogotoabasketball
gamethateveningwithhim.
1|P a g e Ithankedhimfortheofferandgotveryanimatedaboutmyboyfriend.Iwantedhim
toknowthatIwasthoroughlyinvolved.Iwasclear.
Butnoneofmytone,ormyrepeatedeffortstokeepthefocusontheshowitselfor
theloveofmyboyfriendmademuchofadifference,Billcontinuedtopursue.Hepushedto
knowhowmuchIwantedtobeanactress.DidIknowthatIcouldhaveanythingIwanted?
DidIknowhowbeautifulIwas...and,didIunderstandwhoHEwas?Theconversation
endedrightaboutthere...hesaidtherewouldbeacarsentformeMondaytotakemeto
rehearsal.
ArrivingonMondayIdiscoveredthatIhadalsobeengivenmyowndressingroom.
Itwastheshow'sfifthseason,rehearsingMondaythroughWednesdayandshooting
twoshowsonThursday.
Standingonthe"Cosby"stageforthefirsttimewassurreal,Iwasthrilled.Sooninto
thefirstdayaman,appearedonset.Withoutconsultinganyone,hecameovertome,told
methatBillwouldliketohavelunchwithmeinhisdressingroom.
ItoldhimIcouldn'tleaverehearsal,andlunchwasn'tforanotherhalfhour.Hesaiditwas
"fine'"andtocomewithhim.
Ilookedaroundthesetfilledthrongsofprofessionals,lookingforsomesortof
confirmation.Nothing.Underanyandallcircumstancesonafilmortelevisionset,thereare
departmentsthatoverseethetimeandmovementofeverything...noneofthese
departmentsevenlookedinmydirection,norsaidanything.
Infrontofhundredsofpeople,IwasledoffthesettoBill'sdressingroom.Iwasself‐
consciousandhumiliated.
Withmystomachinknots,Isatonthesofainhisdressingroom,worryingabout
missingarehearsalonthefirstday?IwaitedforBilltoshowup...heneverdid.
SummonedagainonTuesday,Isataloneagain,noBill.After,Iwenttotheheadof
thedepartmentthatshouldhavebeenoverseeingmedirectly.ItoldherthatIdidn'twant
toleaverehearsalbeforeeveryoneelseanymore,thatIneededtobethere.
Shepointblanktoldmenottoworryaboutit...thatthishappened"allthetime!"She
wasalsodismissivetome,whichgavemetheimpressionthatperhapsshethoughtImay
beawillingparticipant.
IdrovehometoherthatIwasnotparticipatinginwhatever"this"scenariowas,and
couldshepleasehelpme.Shetoldmeagainnottoworryaboutit,anddidnothing.
2|P a g e IwassummonedagainWednesday...noCosby.
Thisbegantofeelsillyandunprofessional...Ifeltmanipulated.Youngactressesbeing
yankedoffsetforlunchwiththemediatitan...andNOONEisconcernedorwillingtohelp?
ThenitwasThursday,weshottheafternoonepisode,Iwasonceagainpromptly
escortedintoBill'sdressingroom.ThistimeBillshowed,closedthedoorbehindhim...and
lockedit.
Therewasapalpableshiftofpower.Ilostmybreath.
Hischairsatdirectlyinsideandinfrontofthecloseddoor.Therewasmovement
andnoiseoutside,whichgavenocomfort.ThisfeltdangerousandIwasscared.
Hebeganchattinginthefatherly,mentoringwaythathedoes.Askingmeagain
aboutmyboyfriend?Inquiringifweplannedonmarrying.
HewantedmetoknowthathethoughtIhad"IT"...thebig"it"neededintelevision.I
couldhaveanythingIwanted,wasIwillingtodowhatittook?
Ikeptitlightandprofessional.ItoldhimIwasgoingtoworkhardandfinish
studying.Herespondedtothatwithatitter,likeIwasbeingnaive.Allthewhilemyknees
shookbehindthecoffeetable.
After25minutesof"interviewing"me,hesaidsomethingtomethatletmeknowhe
wasdonebantering.Ihadonelastdeterrentupmysleeve,"Bill,youareJellopuddingpops
andFatAlberttome...youaremychildhood."Hebarkedbackinstantly,"Don'tsaythat,
theyallsaythat!"
Themoodintheroomturned...Iwantedout.IknewIhadtowalkaline...Ihad
handledbeing"hiton"manytimesintheindustry,thishadfarsurpassedthat.Ifelt
dominated.
Hethensaid,"Comehere."
EverythingslowedwaydownandIhadtodecideswiftlywhatIwoulddo.Istood
up.
Billcametowardme.Whenwewerefacetofaceheaskedmetoturnaround.How
wasImaintainingmydecorum?Ithought.IwillbeinacompletelypowerlesspositionifIturn
around.Iwantedtosmackhim.
Mymindracedandconcluded,Icouldkneehim,elbowhim,runoutifhetriedto
touchme.Iturnedaround.Ifelthimsteptowardmeandputhishandsoverthebacksof
myhands.Hebegantomoveourhandstogetherlikeanexercisemanyactorsknowas"the
mirrorexercise."Iplayedalongandmadesurethathislowerbodystayedawayfrommy
bottom.Whenhewasfinishedwiththis,hethenpulledmeintohim,wrappedbothour
3|P a g e armsaroundme,likeloverswould,andwhisperedinmyear,"See,that'sallweweregoing
todo,makelove.That'smakinglove."Heturnedmearound,huggedmeandIleftwithout
sayingaword.
Drivinghomethatnight,IknewIhad"handled"thesituationwithcourageand
grace.Yet,Ididn'tlikethefeelingofnotknowingwhatothercastandcrewmembers
thought.Ididn'tlikenotknowinghowfarareachBillhadintheindustry...wouldmy
rejectionofhisadvancesmarmycareerinsomeway.
Inevercameforwardin1989.
IknewthatIhadbeensexuallyharassed.IknewthatIshouldsaysomething.YetI
hadtriedtogethelpwhileworkingontheshow.IfIgotnohelpthere,itfelthopelesstoget
itoutsidetheshow.BillCosbywasuntouchable.
Weallsawtheresponselastfallwhenthefirstcourageouswomenbegancoming
forward.Itwasshockinganddisgustingtowatchthenewscoverage...theoutrageous,ugly
commentstowardsthesewomen.Portrayingthemouttobemoneyhungry.BillCosbystill
beingheldupasDr.Huxtable.
TodayIencouragemystudentstospeakupiftheyarebeingharassedorabusedin
anyway.Ifsomeonedoesn'tlistenthefirsttime,youkeeptalkinguntilyoufindsomeone
thatwill.
Ittook39womentocomeforwardbeforeIwasreadytosharemyexperience.I
hopethatbybeingaddedasthenextnumbersomeoneelsedecidestoregainherpower
andusehervoice.
Abuse,harassmentandrapeofwomenandchildrenarecommonplacealloverthe
world.Iknowwecanallagreethatweneedtodoeverythingwecantostopthis.
Idon'tthinkitwouldbeprudenttogivesomeoneapassbecauseofunrelated
contributionstoourcommunity...orthatwemayallcollectivelysharegoodmemoriesof
theironcepopulartelevisionshow.
Gloria Allred
Attorney at Law
Representing Eden Tirl
August 12, 2015
.
4|P a g e