Phylicia Rashad received harsh criticism from fellow actress Janet Hubert after she tweeted about Bill Cosby’s release from prison.
Rashad expressed her joy after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s sexual assault conviction on a technicality.
“FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted,” she tweeted. “A miscarriage of justice is corrected!”
Rashad eventually deleted the tweet after thousands rebuked her support of Cosby. Hubert was among them the detractors.
https://twitter.com/OGJanetHubert/status/1410379498604859392?s=20
“Phylicia, what are you thinking!!! I don’t know you, but to say this was terribly wrong. EVERYONE knew what he was doing back then,” the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” star wrote on Wednesday. “How could you NOT! Get your umbrella, sista. Here comes the sh-t shower. I am outraged that he has been released. Yes, he is an old ass guilty man!”
Hubert what she said and used a gif of her character Aunt Viv making a concerned facial expression. Iconic. Clair Huxtable could NEVER.
Twitter seemed to enjoy seeing one TV mom coming for another.
I must continue following you. I love how you are open and unapologetic about so much. This is Aunt Viv all the way. I’m not opining one way or another. But, commend your boldness. Congrats on your new gig.
— Venton Blandin (@VentonBlandinTV) July 1, 2021
Janet Hubert said she had time today pic.twitter.com/vD1EUJMtmd
— Muted. Argue with yourself. (@___inCANdescent) July 1, 2021
“Janet Hubert using a meme of herself to ask Phylicia Rashad what she was thinking was absolutely amazing. I saw a screenshot and had to go check because no way that was real. And yet… it is,” tweeted writer Demetria Lucas.
I knew Janet Hubert being on Twitter wouldn’t disappoint.
— ᴅᴏʟʟᴀʀ (@DollarBeKnowing) July 1, 2021
Janet Hubert using a meme of herself to ask Phylicia Rashad what she was thinking was absolutely amazing. I saw a screenshot and had to go check because no way that was real. And yet… it is.
The Internet remains undefeated.
— Demetria L. Lucas (@demetriallucas) July 1, 2021
Even though Rashad deleted the tweet and sort of apologized, she’s still facing harsh criticism. She recently started a job as Dean of Fine Arts at Howard University, and critics call for her firing. Howard criticized her commentary in a statement, but there is no word on whether she’ll be formally disciplined.
“Survivors of sexual assault will always be our first priority,” the statement read. “While Dean Rashad has acknowledged in her follow-up tweet that victims must be heard and believed, her initial tweet lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault.”
