'The media raped Bill Cosby,' says Glenn Beck

The US radio and television show criticises AP for running footage concerning Cosby’s rape allegations

Glenn Beck has said that the media has made Bill Cosby a rape victim.

The conservative US television and radio host was referring to the Associated Press' decision to run a segment from a filmed interview with the actor, in which he was asked about rape allegations made against him.

Cosby has consistently strongly denied all the allegations, which his attorney has described as “decades-old” and “discredited”.

After the interview, Cosby, thinking that the camera had been turned off, told the interviewer that he would appreciate it if that part of the clip, filmed on 6 November, was “scuttled”.

Although he declined to comment on the allegations, he asked for “none of that to be shown”, adding that if AP considered itself “to be serious that it will not appear anywhere”. He also questioned the “integrity” of the news service for addressing the allegations.

The reporter said he would check with his bosses. Since the interview, two more women, including model Janice Dickinson, have accused Cosby of rape and AP has henceforth decided to publish the full, unedited footage, showing his full reaction.

Glenn Beck has criticised the news agency for the move, suggesting that it was unethical.

“You want to talk about rape? That’s media rape right there,” he said on Right Wing Watch News.

“You said that you would not do that. Since when does your no mean yes? Do you know the definition of no sir? You’ve just raped Bill Cosby. You said you wouldn’t do it. You just did it and then you blamed it on him. My gosh, maybe we should have a lesson on rape.”

AP said during the video that the interview was on record and that it “made no agreement to avoid questions about the allegations or to withhold publishing any of his comments at any time”.

The initial focus of the interview was the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. exhibiting the art collection of Cosby and his wife.

In October, Barbara Bowman claimed that Cosby drugged and raped her when she was a teenager in 1985, when she was then an aspiring actress.

Bowman was one of 13 victims called to take to the witness stand in 2006 when Andrea Constand claimed that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in his Philadelphia mansion in 2004 - allegations firmly denied by his lawyers.

In 2006, Cosby settled the case with Constand. The terms of the settlement remain undisclosed.

Last weekend, the actor’s lawyer said that he will not be commenting on the “decade-old discredited” allegations.

“The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true,” read a statement on Cosby’s website.

“Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work.”

This week his lawyers also responded to a further allegation against him, saying it was “a complete lie”.