Jaleel White, known for his beloved portrayal of Steve Urkel in Family Matters, is now opening up about his relationship with Bill Cosby. In his Sunday interview on TV One’s original series Uncensored, the childhood actor reflected on his mentorship from the comedian who was revered in the Black community for his career that spanned over six decades before being convicted of a number of sex offenses in 2018.
White’s acting career reached much success after his supposed one-time appearance on the 90s sitcom quickly flourished into a breakout role that captured the heart of America and everyone reciting his character’s earworm phrase, “Did I do that?” Ahead of this massive success, White was previously slated to star in The Cosby Show as Rudy until producers opted to mimic the titular character’s real-life family and cast Keisha Knight Pulliam. And although White said the recast was a devastating blow at the time, he would later run into Cosby — who co-created the acclaimed sitcoms — and receive his guidance in the industry. “I fostered a relationship with Mr. Cosby, separate and apart,” White said. “Many dinners at his house, breakfasts, I even ran into a rough patch and he’s directly responsible for why I ended up at the William Morris Agency, which became an education unto itself.”
Looking back on his experience with Cosby in relation to the publicized sexual assault allegations dating back to 1969, White said, “You go back in time and you realize how close you were to something, and you put yourself in rooms where you realize, his wife wasn’t there. That woman was probably there for that purpose,” He continues, “You know, it’s a hell of a hindsight thing to look at.” White further disclosed that he and Cosby severed their relationship, but he didn’t go into detail with what happened. “It was like a revered man did a terrible thing and he’s paying the price. It’s just like, I think that’s where we leave it,” White said, affirming his stance on Cosby’s conviction. “A revered man did a terrible thing and he is paying the appropriate price.”
