Bill Cosby’s Daughters Ensa and Erinn Speak Out in Defense of Dad

With their father’s sexual-assault trial looming, Bill Cosby’s daughters Ensa and Erinn released statements of support for their dad via NYC radio talk show “The Breakfast Club” Monday morning. Host Charlamagne Tha God said that he’d been approached by Cosby’s publicist because the comedian’s daughters listen “faithfully” to the show and wanted to speak out in advance of his June trial, in which he is facing three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault from an alleged encounter with accuser Andrea Constand in 2004.

“I am a very private person and have chosen to live my life quietly with my family. But for my child, my niece, my nephew, and my father, I cannot sit quietly anymore,” said Ensa, before going on to list her father’s many accomplishments in civil rights activism, parenting, entertainment, and philanthropy.

“The accusations against my father have been one-sided from the beginning. When he tried to defend himself, he was sued in civil court. I’ve seen the accusations become more horrific and extreme with time, and I’ve witnessed my father’s reputation and legendary works be dismissed without any proof,” Ensa said, referencing the 50 or so women who have accused Cosby, 79, of sexual assault. “I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him, and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal. How the charges came about being made against him, how people believed them before they were ever scrutinized or tested, how people who questioned the claims were shut down and ignored.”

She continued, “The media created the story and the outcome before any court will ever test the claims. How my father is being punished by a society that still believes black men rape white women but passes off as ‘boys will be boys’ when white men are accused. How the politics of our country prove my disgust. My father has been publicly lynched in the media. My family, my young daughter, my young niece and nephew have had to stand helplessly by and watch the double standards of pretending to protect the rights of some, but ignoring the rights of others and exposing innocent children to such appalling accusations about someone they love dearly and who has been so loving and kind to them is beyond cruel.”

Her sister Erinn, who became increasingly emotional as she spoke, added, “Over the last few years, my family has been forced to sit by and watch as our father has been attacked in the media. And it has been difficult to remain silent to protect our loved ones from scorn as gossip fueled in the news as big entertainment. But what you hear in the media is a far cry from who our father is.”

She acknowledged that their relationship has had some rocky moments but stands firm in her support of her dad.

“My father and I have not always seen eye to eye, but I know him like very few people do. And I will be the first to say that the acts of which my father is accused are unthinkable, knowing the man who is my dad … I know that people will try to shoot me down for speaking out and by bringing up past criticisms against me and my relationship with my dad, to which I say, I do not care. I love my father and always have and always will. I believe in his innocence and I know in my heart how he values me, my family, and the goodness that is in all people. I will never respect or understand a society that allows an accused to be convicted without proof and his or her day in court. It is truly unbelievable.”

The hosts of “The Breakfast Club” went on to discuss the problems with the court of public opinion and Cosby’s chance for a fair trial, but the issue is clearly not up for debate with Cosby’s daughters. Ensa, 44, and Erinn, 50, are following in the steps of youngest sister Evin, who spoke out last month.

Evin also touched on growing up Cosby, as well as the toll the series of accusations have taken in the wake of her brother Ennis’s death in 1997.

“The harsh and hurtful accusations of things that supposedly happened 40 or 50 years ago, before I was born, in another lifetime, and that have been carelessly repeated as truth without allowing my dad to defend himself and without requiring proof, has punished not just my dad but every one of us,” she wrote. “They have punished the talented people who were still earning money and feeding their families from my dad’s shows and work. I am pleased that finally we are seeing the whole picture and seeing cases and claims dismissed from court. I just hope that those who pre-judged my dad are now willing to admit that they were wrong.”

A judge ruled in February that a second woman who said comedian Bill Cosby sexually assaulted her would be allowed to testify at his upcoming trial in Pennsylvania. Cosby faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

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