Apple cider vinegar Is Pilates for you? 'Ambient gaslighting' 'Main character energy'
PEOPLE
Bill Cosby

Kanye West says that Bill Cosby is 'innocent'

Kelly Lawler
USA TODAY

Kanye West is weighing in on the controversy surrounding Bill Cosby.

Kanye West; Bill Cosby

The artist, 38, took to Twitter on Tuesday to, without much context, declare that the embattled comedian is "innocent," rather emphatically.

This tweet appeared on West's official Twitter account Tuesday.

It appears that West is referring to the current criminal charges against the 78 year-old comedian. At the end of December Cosby was formally charged in a suburb of Philadelphia for aggravated indecent assault stemming from a 2004 encounter with ex-Temple University employee Andrea Constand. Cosby's legal team filed a motion to dismiss the charges and after a two day hearing last week, Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill rejected the motion. The case is moving forward, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 8, where the focus will be determining whether prosecutors have enough evidence to put Cosby on trial.

What's next in the Bill Cosby criminal case?

The charges against Cosby come after nearly 60 women have accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting them in episodes dating as far back as the 1960s. The Pennsylvania case is the first time criminal charges have been brought against him.

Since the allegations began to make national headlines in the fall of 2014, celebrities and public figures have both condemned and defended Cosby. This appears to be the first instance West has spoken out on the subject.

His tweet drew ire from fans and celebrities alike.

This is not the first time West Twitter interactions have caused an uproar. Just the other week an exchange between West and rapper Wiz Khalifa, which started with Khalifa questioning what was then the working title of West's still-not-officially-titled album, expected Thursday, and escalated to include jabs involving Amber Rose — Khalifa's former wife and West's ex-girlfriend — and her child with Khalifa, caused headlines. Afterwards West apologized.

Is Kanye West a lightning rod for our time?

After tweeting about Cosby on Tuesday, West did not continue discussing the matter, returning to the social media site approximately 30 minutes later and tweeting this:

As of publish time, West has not said anything further on his Twitter account about Cosby. USA TODAY has reached out to his representative for comment.

Featured Weekly Ad