Malcolm-Jamal Warner has broken his silence on the allegations against his former Cosby Showco-star Bill Cosby. "He's one of my mentors, and he's been very influential and played a big role in my life as a friend and mentor," Warner told Billboard. "Just as it's painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it's just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this. "I can't really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there," Warner continued. "The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people. What he's done for comedy and television has been legendary and history-making. What he's done for the black community and education has been invaluable. That's the Bill Cosby I know. I can't speak on the other stuff." Warner is not the first Cosby Show star to speak out on the 35 women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault. Cosby's onscreen wife Phylicia Rashad allegedly told a reporter to "forget these women." She later said she was misquoted and that "what I said is this was not about the women. It's about something else. It's about the obliteration of legacy." Keshia Knight Pulliam, who was fired on The Celebrity Apprentice for not calling Cosby in an episode taped prior to the allegations, has defended Cosby as well. "Unfortunately, in the court of public opinion, everyone has formed their opinion, but we're still in America and you're innocent until proven guilty of any crimes," she said on the Today show. There were rumors that Cosby assaulted Raven-Symone when she was on the show from 1989 to 1992, but the actress dismissed them on Instagram. "I was practically a baby on that show and this is a truly disgusting rumor that I want no part of!" she wrote. "Everyone on that show treated me with nothing but kindness. Now keep me out of this!"
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