But for whatever reason, the crack that the comedian made now (or, more accurately, in mid-October) in which he referred to the revered funnyman as a rapist was the key tremor that resulted in the avalanche of allegations, controversy and hindsight-is-20/20 analysis currently enveloping Cosby.
The former sitcom star's attorney has flatly denied mounting claims from, at last count, 16 women who have come forward as alleged Cosby victims, but it seems as though every day a new person has surfaced with a story alleging an assault or attempted assault. Since there has been so much to keep track of in such a relatively short amount of time (not counting the nine years since an accuser sued Cosby for damages), here's a rundown of everything that has happened since Buress' fateful show:
Oct. 16: It seems like longer, but it was just in mid-October when Buress told an audience during a show in Philadelphia : "He gets on TV, 'Pull your pants up, black people. I was on TV in the '80s. I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom.' Yeah, but you raped women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches." Someone was recording and released the clip to PhillyMag.com, which posted it on Oct. 17. It took a couple of days for the "news" to go viral, but when it did...
Oct 21: In what have been his only public comments about the firestorm he ignited, Buress said on The Howard Stern Show: "This was unexpected. I didn't want to do that [make headlines]. If I were going to do that, I would have done it on my own. It wasn't my intention to make this part of a big discussion. It was just something I was doing at that venue right then."
Oct. 30: Cosby's planned appearance on The Queen Latifah Show was canceled at his request, according to show producer Sony Pictures Television.
Nov. 6: Cosby gives an interview to the Associated Press in which he's asked about past allegations and repeatedly says he has nothing to say and there's no comment. Cosby tells the reporter he would "appreciate it" if this exchange could be "scuttled" from the transcript or broadcast. The interviewer said
Nov. 10: Someone on Team Cosby got the idea to make a meme generator so that fans could put funny tag lines on seemingly innocent pics of father-figure-era Cosby. Instead, captions referring to the allegations against him won the day. That's probably when articles (both old and new) recalling how Cosby's otherwise illustrious career has been shadowed by allegations that he mistreated women, plus the easily searchable story about a 2005 lawsuit filed against him by Andrea Constand that stated a number of other women who were ready to testify about their own alleged experiences, really started popping up. Constand, a student at Cosby's alma mater Temple University, accused the entertainer of drugging and assaulting her in January 2004. A settlement notice was filed in 2008.
Nov. 13: A day after she appeared on CNN Tonight, the Washington Post published an op-ed by artist Barbara Bowman in which she alleged that Cosby drugged and raped her at his home in 1985 when she was an aspiring 17-year-old actress.
Nov. 15: Scott Simon's interview with Cosby for Weekend Edition Saturday airs on NPR. When asked about the controversy and resurfaced allegations, Cosby has nothing to say and Simon, who told the comedian it gave him "no pleasure" to have to ask such questions, tells the audience that his guest is shaking his head. Meanwhile, an appearance scheduled for Nov. 19 on Late Show With David Letterman is canceled.
Nov. 16: Cosby attorney John P. Schmitt issues this statement: "Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work. There will be no further statement from Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives."
Nov. 17: Schmitt and an attorney for Constand release this addendum: "The statement released by Mr. Cosby's attorney over the weekend was not intended to refer in any way to Andrea Constand. As previously reported, differences between Mr. Cosby and Ms. Constand were resolved to the mutual satisfaction of Mr. Cosby and Ms. Constand years ago. Neither Mr. Cosby nor Ms. Constand intends to comment further on the matter."
Nov. 18: Joan Tarshis tells CNN Tonight's Don Lemon that Cosby sexually assaulted her when she was 19
• Bruce Castor, a former district attorney of Alabama's Montgomery County tells the Daily Mail that he wanted to prosecute Cosby when Constand came forward, but he didn't have the proof to have the comedian arrested.
