The growing number of women who've come forward claiming that Bill Cosby either raped, or tried to rape them, has wound up turning much of the American population against him; however, his former TV wife Phylicia Rashad refuses to turn her back on him.

Phylicia, who played the beloved character of Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, recently spoke to ShowBiz411 about the extreme sexual assault allegations that have been thrown at her former costar.  The fact that well over a dozen women claim to have been drugged and assaulted in some way by Cosby many years ago is nothing more than a smear campaign in Phylicia's eyes.  Even when model/actresses Janice Dickinson and Beverly Johnson's names were brought up, Phylicia dismissed the credibility of their accusations against Cosby when she replied, "Oh, please."

"Forget these women," Rashad told ShowBiz411.  "What you're seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it's orchestrated. I don't know why or who's doing it, but it's the legacy. And it's a legacy that is so important to the culture.  Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV.  And it's worked. All his contracts have been cancelled.  

"This show represented America to the outside world. This was the American family. And now you're seeing it being destroyed. Why?"

Phylicia even credited Cosby's wife Camille for sticking by his side throughout this tough time, and for being "a tough woman, a smart woman.  She's no pushover."  She also stated "I love him," when referring to Cosby, and even told ShowBiz411 that she didn't "want to become part of the public debate."  Given the impact of her comments, Phylicia has thrown herself into the thick of the fire regarding Bill Cosby's ongoing rape chapter.

Many fans of both Phylicia and The Cosby Show have taken to Twitter to dish their thoughts on how adamantly she stood by Bill.  Many people were alarmed when they learned of her words and claim to have lost respect for her.  Others, of course, have supported Phylicia's views on the sensitive subject matter and have issued their own defenses of Cosby as well.

How do you feel about what Phylicia Rashad had to say about Bill Cosby?

Source: ShowBiz411   Photo Cred: Splash News