WATCH: Comedian Bill Cosby isn’t letting the long list of sexual assault accusations against him interfere with his shows, even if he got an earful from some in the audience. As Mike Drolet reports, Cosby not only took it in stride, he made light of the whole controversy.
TORONTO – Embattled comedian Bill Cosby had to pause during his comedy show Thursday night in London, Ont. when a heckler called the comedian a rapist.
Cosby was in the middle of his routine at Budweiser Gardens – the second of three stops on an Ontario tour – when a man in the audience started yelling.
“You are a rapist. Bill, I am getting kicked out because you are a rapist,” the man shouted.
The crowd booed, but Cosby asked the audience to be patient.
“No, no, stop,” Cosby said. “No clapping right now. That’s all right. Patience.”
A police officer removed the individual from the theatre, which drew applause.
A second interruption occurred when a woman got up from her seat and walked past the stage. Cosby asked where she was going and she answered she was going to get a drink. Cosby responded “you have to be careful about drinking around me” to loud applause.
READ MORE: Cosby’s TV wife Phylicia Rashad attacks his accusers
Cosby’s Ontario shows have been the target of controversy since allegations of sexual assault arose against the 77-year-old comedian in November. Since then, more than 18 women have come forward.
Cosby has not been charged with anything and through his lawyer has denied the allegations.
Security at the London show was tight as ticket holders were greeted with shouts of “shame” from protesters who gathered outside the venue.
Fifty-year-old Karen Ann Bridge was one of the protesters outside the Gardens. She had bought tickets to go see the comedian in London with her family but changed her mind about attending after the long list of allegations facing Cosby came to light.
“I don’t think I could ever watch a show from him now without that being at the back of my mind,” she told The Canadian Press. “These are just allegations but they still don’t sit with me well … Women don’t lie about these things.”
Similar protests happened prior to Cosby’s show Wednesday in Kitchener where demonstrators shouted “shame on you” as fans entered Centre in the Square.
Cosby walked on stage to applause wearing a gray sweatshirt with his trademark “hello friend” printed on the front. He kept his routine safe, opening the show by thanking the audience before joking about Canada’s cold weather.
Cosby issued a statement following the show thanking his fans for coming.
“I would like to personally thank you for giving me the opportunity to bring laughter back into your lives tonight,” Cosby said in a press release.
Advocates for sexual assault victims have organized events in each city to raise awareness of the issue at the same time as Cosby’s shows. In Kitchener, more than 300 people attended a “Voices Carry” event which raised nearly $7,500 for the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region and Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.
Review the London performance in the blog below:
*With files from the Canadian Press
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