Why Famous:Began his career as a stand up comedian before moving into television with "I Spy". Cosby performed in and produced children's TV shows such as "The Electric Company" before creating hugely successful "The Cosby Show" (1984-1992), significant for featuring an affluent African American family.
In 2014 Cosby became the subject of numerous allegations of sexual abuse, drug facilitated rape and other accusations of sexual misconduct dating back decades. In 2015 he was charged by police but the case ended in mistrial. A new trial found him guilty of sexual assault in 2018.
1997-07-25 Autumn Jackson, found guilty of trying to extort $40M from Bill Cosby
1997-12-12 Fed judge sentences Autumn Jackson, who claims to be Bill Cosby's daughter, to 26 months for trying to extort $40 million from him
2014-12-02 Comedian Bill Cosby resigns from the board of trustees of an American university following renewed sexual assault allegations
2015-07-23 Supreme Court rejects Bill Cosby's petition against a civil case of his alleged sexual assault of 15-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1974
2016-05-24 Bill Cosby is ordered to stand trial in a sexual assault case in Norristown
2017-06-17 Bill Cosby trial for aggravated indecent assault declared a mistrial after jurors couldn't reach a verdict
2018-04-26 Comedian Bill Cosby is found guilty of sexual assault in Pennsylvania
2018-05-03 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences members vote to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski
2018-09-25 Comedian Bill Cosby sentenced to 3-10 years in jail for 2004 sexual assault, first celebrity to be jailed in the #MeToo era
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