Bill Cosby's comedy tour lurches from one disaster to the next with his upcoming show in his home state of Massachusetts canceled, just days after he was heckled about sexual assault allegations at a show in Canada
Bill
Cosby's comedy tour lurches from one disaster to the next with his
upcoming show in his home state of Massachusetts canceled, just days
after he was heckled about sexual assault allegations at a show in
Canada.
Officials
at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester say the promoter of the stand-up
comedy show scheduled for February 6 came to an agreement with Cosby's
agent to cancel.
'I
do think we are relieved. It's not a situation anybody wanted to be in,
but our image in the community means a lot to us and I know that there
are those who will be relieved not to see him appear here,' said
President and Chief Executive Officer Troy Siebels.
He told The Telegram & Gazette that 1,300 tickets had been sold for the show in a venue that seats 2,300.
Cosby, whose tour has 21 dates scheduled between Friday and May 2, has had a home in Shelburne, Massachusetts, since the 1970s.
The comedian's recent appearances have drawn protesters as the 77-year-old continues to face sexual assault allegations from more than 15 women, with some dating back decades.
He has denied the allegations through his lawyer and has never been charged.
Two shows at Boston's 1,200-seat Wilbur Theatre on February 8 are expected to go on as scheduled, although The Boston Globe has reported that there are rumors of further protests at those shows.
On Friday night hecklers stood up and chanted repeatedly 'we believe the women' during the third and final performance of Cosby's Canadian tour in London, Ontario.
The Woman Abuse Working Group protest the Bill Cosby standup show outside the Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, last week
The hecklers were then marched out of the theater as the 77-year-old comedian asked his audience not to react.
Ticketmaster is also offering refunds for two shows scheduled for Denver, although organizers are insisting that the performances will go on.
'There are people that are hurting. And this doesn't feel good... this feels uncomfortable,' said Denver Councilwoman Susan Shepherd, who has been vocal about not supporting Cosby.
More than 3,000 tickets have been sold for the shows, which are set to take place in downtown Denver on Saturday amid planned protests.
Chuck Morris, president of AEG Live, the promotion company hosting Cosby, says he understands the concerns some may have regarding Cosby's visit.
Officials at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester say the promoter of the stand-up comedy show scheduled for February 6 came to an agreement with Cosby's agent to cancel
Cosby, whose tour has 21 dates scheduled between Friday and May 2, has had a home in Shelburne, Massachusetts, since the 1970s
But he adds that because the comedian hasn't been charged with a crime, he has a moral obligation to allow the shows to happen.
Attorney Gloria Allred plans to be in Buell on Saturday to join a protest planned for outside the theater.
Before the protest she is holding what she calls a 'Teach In' with a Cosby accuser at the Crawford Hotel, inviting the public to learn how to 'support alleged victims.'