MELBOURNE, Fla./LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Bill Cosby played a sold-out comedy show on Friday in Florida despite a wave of sexual assault allegations this week that prompted the cancellation of several upcoming shows and two major studios to halt projects involving the comedian.
Cosby, 77, took the stage to a standing ovation and gave the audience a thumbs up at the King Center in Melbourne, Florida.
Uniformed police officers patrolled the venue ahead of the show, while a lone protestor joined attendees outside the center with a hand-made sign that read “Rape is no joke.”
“I just want to make sure someone came out,” said the protester, 47-year-old Julie LeMaitre. “I don’t want it reported that nobody cared.”
The Florida show went ahead despite the cancellation of Cosby’s Las Vegas performance next week and four other shows in Arizona, Illinois, South Carolina and Washington state next year. With NBC and Netflix also dropping projects with the comedian this week, the allegations have threatened Cosby’s wholesome public image and future viability in show business.
Still, many ticketholders said they had no qualms about attending the comedian’s performance.
“It’s his personal life, and I don’t really care,” said Melbourne resident Russ McDonald, 62, a retired teacher.
Cosby has more than 30 performances, including a Nov. 29 show in Yakima, Washington, scheduled through May. He performed without incident on Thursday in the Bahamas.
