Some of Bill Cosby's early defenders have backed down following the release of court records indicating that the comedian intended to drug and rape young women. Whoopi Goldberg is not among them.
On Wednesday, a day after maintaining her defense of Cosby on "The View," Goldberg reiterated her stance on the sexual assault allegations, saying she believes Cosby is "innocent until proven guilty" despite waning support for the opinion. The co-host also called out audience members, viewers, social media users -- anyone, really -- who would challenge her, and responded to alleged death threats by telling her critics to "back off."
"People have been coming after me and saying they're going to snatch my family," Goldberg explained. "Well, here's the deal: This is 'The View,' and that was my opinion. And not any of you threatening me or telling me you're coming after me because you don't like what I said is going to change the fact that no one has convicted him, he has not been arrested, and the bottom line is: Innocent until proven guilty."
Goldberg went on to implore mothers of sons who have been falsely accused of rape to consider Cosby's possible innocence, and added that she believes public dialogue around sexual assault is still important.
"We all have a very important role to play when it comes to abuse and rape," she said. "We have to demand that if it's true, the person is taken to the Nth degree of the world and punished. No one here thinks rape is good. No one here thinks rapists are fun.
"Here’s the bottom line for me," Goldberg concluded. "It’s my opinion, and the American courts agree with me, because still he has not been taken to jail or tried on anything. So back off me!"
Watch Goldberg double down on her defense of Cosby at Mediaite.
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