PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – Hannibal Buress calls it a weird surprise that his Bill Cosby “rapist” joke precipitated the star’s fall from grace.
“I was doing a joke in my show and that shouldn’t influence public opinion. I don’t know if it should go that far,” Buress said Sunday. “It’s weird to me that a joke did that.”
Buress said he didn’t perform the joke with the idea it would have repercussions for Cosby. He stopped short of expressing regret.
Speaking earlier to a TV critics’ group, Buress said he’s moved beyond Cosby as a punchline and doesn’t see his career as defined by it.
“I’ve been working for a while and I continue to work,” Buress said, citing his voice-over performances for films including the upcoming “The Angry Birds Movie” and ongoing stand-up appearances. A comedy special for Netflix will be released Feb. 5.