Bill Cosby Vegas show latest to be canceled as rape allegations swirl

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Once called “America’s Dad,” Bill Cosby built a career around his Everyman image; now he’s facing allegations of sexual assault. Here are some of his career and life moments.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Cosby was born on July 12, 1937 and raised in Philadelphia. After being a sports star in high school, he joined the Navy and has been a vocal supporter ever since. Here, he’s shown at a Veterans Day ceremony in 2014. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press)

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Bill Cosby (pictured in 2010) began his showbiz life as a stand-up comedian in the early 1960s. His wholesome comedy, liked by black and white audiences, was often criticized in comparison with edgy stand-ups like Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP/Getty Images)

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Autumn Jackson claimed to be the daughter of Bill Cosby, but, in a high-profile case, was convicted in 1997 of trying to extort $40 million from the comedian. Cosby had acknowledged a relationship with Jackson’s mother but denied he was the father. (David Karo / Associated Press)

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Tragedy struck in 1997 when Bill Cosby’s son, Ennis, was killed alongside a Los Angeles highway, making national headlines. Mikhail Markhasev confessed to the crime. (Alan Singer / Associated Press)

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The Temple University graduate has long been a supporter of education and is often seen in clothing emblazoned with school names. Here, Cosby addresses graduates of Teachers College at Columbia University in 1998. (Suzanne Plunkett / Associated Press)

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Bill Cosby became a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 1998. He’s pictured with his wife, Camille, as they arrive at the White House for a reception. (Chris Kleponis / AFP)

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Bill Cosby has long been an activist and civil rights proponent, from participating in marches to supporting figures like former South African President Nelson Mandela in human rights causes. (Sasa Kralj / Associated Press)

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Cosby’s love of jazz translated to him serving as host of the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, which he did from 1979 to 2012. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Several women have claimed that Cosby sexually assaulted them. Though the comedian has denied the allegations, several recent projects and appearances have been dropped or canceled. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

By Greg BraxtonSenior Writer, Culture and Representation

Nov. 21, 2014 9:48 AM PT

Bill Cosby will not appear in a planned show at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, marking another cancellation in a series that have tarnished the entertainer’s legacy since the resurfacing of decades-old accusations of sexual assault.

A spokeswoman for the hotel confirmed via email that the show was canceled “by mutual agreement.”

The called-off performance, originally scheduled for Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving, follows a number of similar moves by TV networks that acted this week to distance themselves from the once-beloved television star whose sitcom “The Cosby Show” dominated the medium in the 1980s.

Representatives for Treasure Island had said earlier that the show would move forward despite the controversy.

A coalition of civil rights and women’s groups had urged the Las Vegas resort to postpone Cosby’s appearance pending an investigation of his alleged victims’ claims.

On Wednesday, NBC, which aired the ‘80s Cosby sitcom, scrapped plans for the comedian’s possible return to its network, while the cable network TV Land pulled reruns of the show from its lineup later the same day. On Tuesday, Netflix postponed the airing of a stand-up special, “Bill Cosby 77,” which was taped on the performer’s 77th birthday.

Comedy Central also announced this week that it was pulling its planned encore of Cosby’s stand-up special “Far From Finished,” which premiered last year.

Cosby is still scheduled to appear Friday night at a sold-out show at Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, Fla. Representatives of the King Center said Thursday that the show at the 2,016-seat venue, part of Cosby’s “Far From Finished” tour, was still on.

The uproar over Cosby has been building for weeks over social media and was set off earlier this week when other alleged victims of the comedian told their stories, some decades old, to media outlets.

But it was an “Entertainment Tonight” interview with former model Janice Dickinson on Tuesday that seemed to be the tipping point for the latest cancellations. In the interview, Dickinson alleged that Cosby raped her -- a charge, as with all others against the comedian, that has been vigorously denied by his attorneys. Since then, additional women have made allegations.

Times staff writer Christine Mai-Duc contributed to this report.

Bill Cosby Vegas show latest to be canceled as rape allegations swirl

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