NBC has nixed its forthcoming comedy series starring Bill Cosby after sexual assault allegations against the comedian surfaced, says The Hollywood Reporter.
"We can confirm that the Cosby project is no longer in development," NBC spokesperson Rebecca Marks said in a statement.
The show was slated for a summer or fall premiere and Mike Sikowitz was hired to pen the script and Mike O'Malley was set to produce it. The network, however, said the show's production has not started and did not comment further on the reason for its cancellation.
NBC is not alone in severing ties with the legendary comedian as TV Land has also announced its decision to stop airing of "Cosby Show," the Huffington Post reports. A spokesperson for the company said they the show will not be aired immediately.
The decisions come after online video streaming service Netflix announced the indefinite postponement of its Cosby comedy special. The show was slated for a November 28 release and is included in the service's Thanksgiving lineup, according to Variety.
"At this time we are postponing the launch of the new stand-up comedy special 'Bill Cosby 77,'" a Netflix spokesperson said. Cosby's camp, however, said the decision to shelve the project was mutual.
The consecutive cancellation of Cosby-fronted productions come after a number of women resurfaced to claim they were sexually assaulted by the comedian.
The latest to come forward as Cosby's rape victim is former model and "America's Next Top Model" judge Janice Dickinson.
"I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do, and it happened to me," Dickinson said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, after recounting the details of the alleged incident that happened in 1982. "This is the true story. I believe all the other women."
A couple of days before Dickinson went public with her accusations, former publicist Joan Tarshis wrote an essay for Hollywood Elsewhere detailing the alleged abuse that happened two times in 1969.
Cosby has refused to comment about the allegations against him.
