Cosby’s TV wife defends comedian

Phylicia Rashad, the actress who played Bill Cosby’s wife, Claire Huxtable, on “The Cosby Show,” has finally broken her silence about the many allegations of rape and sexual abuse being levied against her former co-star. She maintained there was an orchestrated effort to take down Cosby.

Rashad defended Cosby in an exclusive interview with Showbiz 411’s Roger Friedman at a luncheon for “Selma” in New York.

More than 24 women have come forward to say that Cosby attempted to drug or sexually assault them, including models Janice Dickinson and Beverly Johnson.

“Forget these women,” Rashad told Friedman. “What you’re seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it’s orchestrated. I don’t know why or who’s doing it, but it’s the legacy. And it’s a legacy that is so important to the culture.”

When Friedman asked Rashad about Johnson and Dickinson specifically, he said Rashad responded, “Oh, please.”

Cosby has denied the allegations of sexual abuse through his lawyers.

“Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV, and it’s worked,” Rashad said. “All his contracts have been canceled.”

Two more women added their names to a defamation suit against Cosby. Therese Serignese and Linda Traitz joined a lawsuit filed by Cosby accuser Tamara Green, all claiming that Cosby defamed them by calling them liars when they accused him of sexual assault.