The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday it will not remove the star for actor Bill Cosby from the Walk of Fame located near Los Angeles despite his being convicted and sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a woman in 2004.
“The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historical record of entertainment figures past and present. Once installed, the stars become part of the historic fabric of the Walk of Fame, a “designated historic cultural landmark,” and are intended to be permanent,” the organization said in a statement.
“The stars only commemorate the recipient’s professional accomplishments. It is regrettable when the personal lives of inductees do not measure up to public standards and expectations; however, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce does not remove stars from the Walk of Fame,” it added.
#Breaking Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Statement regarding Bill Cosby Walk of Fame Star @HollywoodArea @BillCosby #BillCosby pic.twitter.com/9DfkLvS1uC
— Michael Edgecomb (@TheEdgePHX) September 25, 2018
A petition in favor of having the star removed had been going around to be handed to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Cosby was declared a “sexually violent predator” in court Tuesday and sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Temple University women’s basketball administrator Andrea Constand at his home 14 years ago.
More than 50 women have alleged Cosby sexually harassed or assaulted him throughout his career.
