Groups To Call On Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce To Remove Cosby's Star
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A public policy group and a host of civil rights organizations are expected to call for the removal of Bill Cosby's star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable and Najee Ali of Project Islamic Hope said in a letter addressed to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce that a press conference will be held Thursday at 10 a.m.
The request to remove the star comes amid the release of unsealed court documents this week in which the comedian, according to the Associated Press, admitted to giving quaaludes to at least one woman before sex.
"In light of the now public admission by Comedian Bill Cosby of his illegal drugging and sexual assaults, the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, Project Islamic Hope and a coalition of civil rights organizations call on you and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to immediately remove Cosby's star from your Hollywood Walk of Fame," Hutchinson and Ali wrote in the letter.
"Drugging and rape are serious crimes and having a star on the walk honoring Cosby after his admissions of these acts is a gross slap at the industry and the public," they added.
Earlier this week, a bronze statue of Cosby was removed from the Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida.
Cosby received the Walk of Fame star in 1977. In 2014, the word "rapist" was written on the star, but was removed by workers.
More than two dozen women have forward accusing Cosby of sexual misconduct. He has not been charged with a crime.