Women Are Tweeting Powerful Reactions Following Bill Cosby's Guilty Verdict

After a grueling few weeks of testimony from six different women, Bill Cosby was found guilty of sexual assault on Thursday (April 26).

This verdict is specifically in regard to Andrea Constand, whom Cosby assaulted in 2004. The court charged him with three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Constand, but this is a symbolic win for many women. Over the past few years, more than 60 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault. Many of them appeared on the cover of New York magazine in July 2015 and shared their frighteningly similar testimonies—a brave, universally lauded act that was viewed as one of the accelerators of the #MeToo movement.

Cosby's guilty verdict is the first court win for both the #MeToo and #TimesUp initiatives, which began at the end of 2017 and early 2018 to end sexual harassment and gender bias. The court decision is proof that our culture is progressing and that women are finally being heard.

One of Cosby's accusers, Lili Bernard, summed up this sentiment today in an interview outside the Pennsylvania courthouse where Cosby was convicted. "I feel like I'm dreaming, Can you pinch me?… I feel like my faith in humanity is restored," she said.

And several women—both famous and not—feel exactly the same way. "Thank you society for waking up," actress and activist Rose McGowan tweeted shortly after Cosby was found guilty.

"In a fitting end to Sexual Assault Awareness month, Bill Cosby was found guilty today. Thinking of all the women he traumatized over the past 50 years," Top Chef host and sexual assault survivor Padma Lakshmi also wrote.

Writer and cultural critic Roxane Gay tweeted something many of Cosby's accusers are no-doubt feeling: "Enjoy that prison cell, Bill." At this point, though, it's still unclear how much jail time—if any—Cosby will serve.

But that's not stopping women from posting messages about what this means for sexual assault survivors. Here are some of the most powerful ones we found, both on Twitter and Instagram:

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