Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Rudy in The Cosby Show, was supposed to contact “rich friends” to contribute money for a bake sale in an episode of Celebrity Apprentice. When she did not contact Bill Cosby, the judges grilled her for her decision after Pulliam’s team came in last place for the fundraiser.
It’s worth noting that the episode was filmed months ago, when most of the country and the entertainment industry still thought of Cosby as a warm father figure, before accusations of rape and drugging destroyed that image. So when the judges angrily asked, “What is wrong with you? Your teammates don’t have the same connections that you have,” the entire dressing-down made a little more sense.
Still, even in context, the judges’ indignation seemed a little severe. Donald Trump especially seemed disgusted, even after Pulliam explained that she had not had contact with Cosby for years and that they did not have much of a relationship.
What’s more surprising is the fact that there was no editing done for the episode when it aired months later in January 2015, when Cosby is surrounded by rape allegations and is not considered a scrupulous source to turn to for money for, of all things, a bake sale.
There is no acknowledgment that the episode was filmed earlier, before the allegations surfaced. There is no mention of the change in the situation. And so the episode feels awkward and even worrying as a woman is attacked for not having a good relationship with Cosby.
It’s all a little weird.