Malcolm-Jamal Warner: Bill Cosby Scandal 'Painful' to Watch

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for playing Bill Cosby's television son on his 1980s hit sitcom "The Cosby Show," told Billboard magazine he can't speak to the multiple sexual assault allegations against the man he still calls his mentor, but the scandal is "painful" to watch.

The interview, which was posted by Billboard on Wednesday, comes as Warner is celebrating his first Grammy nomination for his spoken-word contribution to Robert Glasper's "Black Radio 2" album.

Warner talked glowingly of Cosby but declined to address the allegations against him, noted Billboard.

"He's one of my mentors, and he's been very influential and played a big role in my life as a friend and mentor," Warner said in the interview. "Just as it's painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it's just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this."

As of Jan. 14, 24 women have come out publicly to accuse the longtime entertainer of sexually assaulting them, often by first drugging or attempting to drug them, according to Vulture.com. The Los Angeles Police Department announced last week that is investigating charges made by Chloe Goins that Cosby attacked her in 2008, the first of the allegations to fall within California's statute of limitations.

"I can't really speak on any of the allegations because obviously, I was not there," said Warner. "The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people. What he's done for comedy and television has been legendary and history-making. What he's done for the black community and education has been invaluable. That's the Bill Cosby I know. I can't speak on the other stuff."

Warner is not the first cast member of "The Cosby Show" to speak out this month. Phylicia Rashad, who portrayed Cosby's wife on the show, defended her TV husband and former boss and suggested a conspiracy afoot, according to Showbiz 411.com.

"What you're seeing is the destruction of a legacy," Rashad told Showbiz 411.com. "And I think it’s orchestrated. I don't know why or who's doing it, but it's the legacy. And it's a legacy that is so important to the culture."

In the same interview, Rashad dismissed assault claims by models Beverly Johnson and Janice Dickinson and defended Cosby's wife Camille Cosby.

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