Bill Cosby broke his silence on Wednesday following his release from prison after his sexual assault conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
“I have never changed my stance nor my story,” the 83-year-old disgraced actor tweeted to his millions of followers. (RELATED: Bill Cosby’s Career Achievement Award Gets Revoked)
“I have always maintained my innocence,” he added. “Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law. #BillCosby.” (RELATED: Jury Finds Bill Cosby Guilty In Sexual Assault Retrial)
I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence.
Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law. #BillCosby pic.twitter.com/bxELvJWDe5— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) June 30, 2021
Earlier in the day, “The Cosby Show” star was released after serving more than 2 years in his 3-10 year sentence. A jury previously found him guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in Philadelphia in 2004, according to CNN. (RELATED: Bill Cosby Time Behind Bars Dramatically Cut After Deal Made Following Guilty Verdict)
Bill Cosby arrives home following his release from prison after his conviction on sexual assault charges was vacated by Pennsylvania’s highest court. https://t.co/3UB4XzGJts pic.twitter.com/QFzdyf5B8Z
— ABC News (@ABC) June 30, 2021
Pennsylvania’s highest court ruled that District Attorney Kevin Steele was obligated by a promise made by his predecessor not to prosecute the former comedian, Yahoo reported.
Justice David Wecht said Cosby had relied on that “decade old” decision when he later gave potentially “incriminating statements” in the Constand’s civil suit and didn’t invoke the Fifth Amendment for that reason, the court documents read.
It found that overturning and barring further prosecution was “the only remedy that comports with society’s reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system.”