Pennsylvania Board Makes Decision On Bill Cosby's Request For Parole

Bill Cosby arriving at the Montgomery County courthouse

Source: W.Wade/WENN / WENN

Once lovingly referred to as “America’s Dad” due to the massive success of his hit family sitcom The Cosby Show, fallen actor Bill Cosby has spent the last three years in prison following a 2018 conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.

Cosby, now 83 years old, hoped to avoid serving the full ten years of his sentence, as the The Pennsylvania Parole Board considered his application for an early release at a May 11 hearing.

On Thursday (May 27), news broke that the board rejected Cosby’s petition to be released, citing his refusal to participate in a therapy program for sexually violent predators.

Andrew Wyatt, a spokesman for Cosby, said the decision came as no surprise to his client.

“We knew he was going to be rejected. He called me and told me that if he didn’t take the course, he would be denied,” He has maintained his innocence from the beginning.” Wyatt said.

The Board also noted that Cosby received a negative recommendation from the Department of Corrections.

Despite being behind bars, Cosby’s Twitter page is occasionally updated. Back in March, a post was made from his account updating followers on the status of his appeal.

Last June, Wyatt told members of the press that his client’s guilty verdict was an indictment on not just Cosby, but of all people of color in the United States.

“As we have all stated, the false conviction of Bill Cosby is so much bigger than him — it’s about the destruction of ALL Black people and people of color in America,” Wyatt said. “We’re extremely thankful to our attorneys for their tenacious efforts in fighting for the vindication of Mr. Cosby.”