Singer Stephanie Mills Comes to Phylicia Rashad’s Defense Amid Cosby Criticism

By ShaCamree Gowdy Published: July 8, 2021

Singer Stephanie Mills Comes to Phylicia Rashad’s Defense Amid Cosby Criticism

FILE - In this Thursday, May 2, 2002 file photo, members of Bill Cosby's television family, the Huxtables, gather in NBC's Today show studio for an interview with co-host Katie Couric, in New York. From left are Sabrina Le Beauf, Tempest Bledsoe, Cosby, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Phylicia Rashad, Raven Symone and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Cosby is facing the start of a sentencing hearing on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, at which a judge will decide how to punish the 81-year-old comedian who was convicted in April of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University athletics employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

By: ShaCamree Gowdy

While Howard University students and alumni are looking to “cancel” Phylicia Rashad, Stephanie Mills is singing a different tune.

The actress and singer took to Instagram on July 3 to let her 509,000 followers know that she loves the esteemed “Cosby Show” actress, per The Grio’s Biba Adams.

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A post shared by Stephanie Mills (@iamstephaniemills)

“I love you, @phyliciarashad,” Mills posted. “If it’s true that Howard University wants to terminate her Position because they feel her comments about Mr. Cosby were insensitive, then they should give back the millions of dollars that he donated to the university.”

It’s unclear if Cosby actually donated “millions of dollars” to Howard, but he did receive an honorary degree from the university in 1989.

After serving nearly three years of a three-to-ten-year sentence for drugging and molesting Temple University athletics administrator Andrea Constand in 2004, Cosby was freed on June 30, per the Associated Press.

Following news of his release, Rashad said in a since-deleted tweet that “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!”

The tweet placed “America’s mom” directly in the line of criticism, with users across social media calling for her resignation and removal as Howard’s College of Fine Arts dean.

Rashad has since switched courses, penning a lengthy apology letter to Howard University students and parents. In the letter, she said she “plans to participate in trainings to enforce related protocols at Howard and work to become a stronger ally to sexual assault survivors,” per TODAY’s Ronnie Koenig.

I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth. Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.

— Phylicia Rashad (@PhyliciaRashad) June 30, 2021

Cosby thanked Mills for her continued support on Sunday, telling her in a tweet her “voice has always been powerful!” He also launched a tirade against Howard for reprimanding Rashad and allegedly taking away her right to freedom of speech.

Rashad hasn’t been fired from Howard at this time, but the university did condemn her actions across their social media accounts.

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— Howard University (@HowardU) July 1, 2021

“Survivors of sexual assault will always be our priority. While Dean Rashad acknowledged in her follow-up tweet that victims must be heard and believed, her initial tweet lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault,” the Washington, D.C. based university said. “Personal positions of University leadership do not reflect Howard University’s policies.”