Actor Owens hurt by Cosby trial. A2
Geoffrey Owens knows firsthand the way a star’s alleged crimes can cause collateral damage to the thousands of actors and production people he’s worked with in TV or films.
The 57-year-old actor, who played Cosby’s son-inlaw on the long-running hit sitcom “The Cosby Show,” saw his income take a major hit when the comedy legend became embroiled in allegations that he sexually assaulted more than 50 women over his decadeslong career, according to an interview he gave to People.
Reruns of “The Cosby Show” were pulled from syndication as Cosby twice faced trial for one of those alleged assaults — for which he was eventually convicted and for which he faces sentencing on Sept. 24. But Cosby’s legal troubles meant that Owens stopped receiving royalty checks for the show, on which he appeared from 1985 to 1992.
“Yes, it impacted me financially,” Owens explained to People. “At the time that the show was pulled, that did make a difference in our income. That was one of the elements that led to my getting to the place where I said to myself, ‘I have to do something’ and I was thinking, ‘What can I do?’ and the answer ended up being Trader Joe’s, which is actually a wonderful situation for me in many ways.”
Earlier this month, a customer and presumed “Cosby Show” fan spotted Owens working behind the cash register at a Trader Joe’s in Clifton, New Jersey, and snapped a photo.
Owens, who had been working at Trader Joe’s for 15 months, became the subject of fall-from-grace headlines and stories. However, he never thought there was any shame in being a working actor trying to support himself and his family.
This attitude put to shame the outlets who were trying to shame him, and Owens was soon on the receiving end of widespread support from other actors who took to social media to share their stories of hustling side gigs to make ends meet while pursuing their love of performing.
Tyler Perry was one of those, and he so appreciated Owens’ attitude that he offered him a 10-episode job starring on his OWN drama, “The Haves and the Have Nots.”