Cosby tells of prison being an ‘amazing experience’

BILL Cosby hasn’t seen his wife since September but calls her three times a day – and considers prison an “amazing experience”, his spokesperson Andrew Wyatt told the New York Daily News.

“He said it’s an amazing experience. It’s helping him to be more creative, and when he gets out, he plans to write about it,” Wyatt said.

Cosby’s wife Camille has not visited her husband at the actor’s maximum-security SCI Phoenix facility outside Philadelphia, but that is Cosby’s choice. He said his boss “prefers” the daily phone conversations.

“He’s just checking in with her to see how she’s doing,” Wyatt said.

Since the conversations are recorded, the couple don’t talk about issues related to Cosby’s legal case, Wyatt said. He said the couple celebrated their 55-year wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago and still have a “solid” relationship.

“It has nothing to do with pride,” or a possible rift, he said of the lack of face-to-face visits.

“He doesn’t want people to try to exploit her and his daughters if they visit. He doesn’t want the situation to be turned into a circus,” Wyatt said.

Cosby, 81, was convicted last April on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He was sentenced in September to three to 10 years in state prison.

A jury found Cosby guilty of giving former Temple University staffer Andrea Constand a mystery medication and sexually assaulting her while she was incapacitated at his suburban Pennsylvania mansion in 2004.

Wyatt said Cosby believes his former military experience is helping him acclimate to prison life.

“He was in the navy for four years, and this is no different than being in the navy. People have rooms. People are over you. They’re just doing their jobs and you have to follow rules. That’s how he operates every day,” Wyatt told the Daily News.

“He gets up at 3.30am. He works out,” Wyatt said. “The food is packed with sodium, so to prevent getting sick, he puts his food in a cup, goes to the sink and rinses it off three times.”

Wyatt said Cosby considers himself a “political prisoner” who must maintain his health as he pursues his appeal.

Cosby was moved to general population at the state prison on January 28 after spending his first few months in “administrative segregation”.

“From what I understand from prison officials, the transition has been smooth and he’s happy to be out socialising with folks,” Amy Worden, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said.

Cosby is in a single-person cell next to other inmates, receives his meals in the dining hall and must be present for daily counts.

He also has access to the day room, the yard, libraries and settings for religious activities, Worden said. |