Rosie O’Donnell reveals Bill Cosby sexual harassment story

Rosie O’Donnell was a guest on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Sunday night, when she shared a disturbing story about comedian Bill Cosby. According to O’Donnell, Cosby sexually harassed an unnamed staff member.

O’Donnell hosted her own talk show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, from 1996 to 2002. During that time Cosby made seven guest appearances, but on this occasion he was pretending to be a “mystery guest.”

A producer prepped Cosby just prior to going on stage, explaining, “[Rosie O’Donnell]'s not going to know it's you.’” O’Donnell alleged Cosby told the producer, “All [O’Donnell] has to do is put her hand right here’ -- and he put his hand near his penis -- ‘and she'll know it's me.’”

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O’Donnell claims the staff member was so upset over the lewd comment that she began crying and left.

Bill Cosby is escorted out of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018, in Eagleville, Pa., following his sentencing to three-to-10-year prison sentence for sexual assault. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)
Bill Cosby is escorted out of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018, in Eagleville, Pa., following his sentencing to three-to-10-year prison sentence for sexual assault. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)

She went on to say, “I was one of those people who knew he was guilty from a long time ago and was not surprised by all of his -- the charges against him.”

In the time since this alleged incident, Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by at least 60 women. In 2018 he was convicted on three counts of sexual assault and sentenced to 3 to 10 years in a Pennsylvania prison.

O’Donnell also revealed that she wanted to share the story during her time on The View, but was denied. “On The View they would not discuss it every time I tried to bring it up,” recalled O’Donnell, “it became a little fight.”