#Bill Cosby Stands to Make Thousands in Public Appearances

It could just be a matter of time before Bill Cosby is back to work. On Wednesday, Cosby was released from prison after serving more than two years of a 3-10 year sentence. This came after he was denied parole in May, in part due to his refusal to admit to his crimes and participate in a sex offender treatment program. The news of his release has generated waves of controversy as many feel the disgraced comedian hadn’t done nearly enough time.

Cosby might be free, but the career of the man once known as “America’s Dad” will never be the same. It’s best not to bet on seeing him appearing in any movies, TV shows, or comedy specials anytime soon. Even so, Cosby’s days of making good money may not be over just yet, as he can still make some easy cash doing limited speaking engagements and other public appearances.
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Per TMZ, one booking expert believes the Ghost Dad star could eventually pull in around $10-15k per public appearance. Potentially, he could even earn up to $20k for speaking engagements. The source points to O.J. Simpson as a precedent, as he was able to make cash for events after he was controversially acquitted for allegedly killing two people. It’s noted that the market will be very limited and not likely to happen in the very near future.

It’s believed that a “certain demographic of people,” such as older fans of The Cosby Show, would be willing to forgive his indiscretions. There are also a number of Cosby fans who’ve believed in his innocence since the allegations first came to light, and truly believe that his incarceration was unjust. In any case, there’s still a fan base for Cosby, even if it’s much smaller now than it was before 2015.

Certain organizations may feel sympathetic enough for Cosby to book him for public appearances, but he’s not going to be welcomed with open arms by most. Darren Prince of Prince Marketing Group tells TMZ he’d never book someone like Cosby for any reason. Calling him “off-limits,” Prince says there shouldn’t be any consideration given to booking Cosby unless he takes “some serious steps toward contrition and rehabbing his image.” Given his continued insistence that he’s always been innocent, that’s unlikely to happen soon.

“I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence,” Cosby said in a statement on Wednesday after his release from prison. “Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law.”

In a Twitter post, Cosby’s The Cosby Show co-star Phylicia Rashad added: “Finally! A terrible wrong is being righted – a miscarriage of justice is corrected.”

Meanwhile, while Bill Cosby made his exit from prison, fellow disgraced celebrity Allison Mack is preparing to spend the next few years behind bars. For her involvement in the NXIVM sex cult, she was handed a sentence of three years on the same day Cosby was released. As many say the sentence isn’t long enough, there has been a lot of criticism of the American justice system over the past 24 hours. This news comes to us from TMZ.

Topics: Sexual Misconduct