Judd Apatow slammed two venues in Ontario for going ahead with scheduled Bill Cosby performances, taking to Twitter on Friday and over the weekend to express his anger.
In January, Cosby is slated to perform at Kitchener's Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ontario, and then again at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. The theaters have decided not to cancel the comedian's shows despite the mounting list of venues who have already pulled the plug on his performances, after at least 26 women publicly accused Cosby of sexual assault.
On Friday — which was Boxing Day in Canada — after the theaters tweeted innocuous holiday greetings, the famed director called out both accounts about their decisions to keep Cosby on the bill.
And Apatow responded to both with anger.
so @Centre_Square - are you really going to let Bill Cosby perform on your stage January 7?
You too @BudGardens Jan 8? Is Cosby only popular in Ontario Canada at this point? Do people still find him delightful after 30 accusers?
Several supporters on Twitter tried to quiet his attacks, but Apatow sharply fired back.
.@nvraine @Centre_Square I always wonder why some people try so hard to not believe women who have been assaulted. What is the root of that?
“@woofmachine: @JuddApatow @Centre_Square innocent until Proven”. He should speak publicly about how false this all is. 30 alibis.
“@mikeandrewb: @JuddApatow @Centre_Square and ur obsession is because...?” I guess it's because guys who rape a lot aren't cool.
The back-and-forth continued into the weekend.
.@thebestshave first of all, your Twitter handle is troubling. Also- I am pretty sure I have had sex with less people than he raped.
A week prior, the Abused Women's Centre in London called for a boycott of Cosby's performances in that town.
Other regional organizations in Ontario have also encouraged similar gestures in protest.
In a blog published in November, The Kitchener venue explained why — due to financial circumstances — it did not cancel Cosby's appearance:
Commercial rental shows at The Centre are crucial for the venue to earn sufficient funds to operate. This show was contracted over a year ago with tickets on sale for a number of months. While we may personally share concerns raised by the community, if The Centre forces a cancellation of this rental show it isn't simply a situation of giving back the rent.
As a result of breaking our contract for this show, The Centre would need to pay any guarantee fee contracted to Mr. Cosby and compensate the promoter for any losses from box office and show expenses. The Centre would also need to refund patrons as the promoter would not be responsible for bearing these costs in this scenario.
For these reasons we will continue to discuss options with the promoter, sharing the community concerns with them.
While Apatow acknowledged the theaters' situations, he stood firm in his belief that the comedian should not take stage.
.@MuttonJeremy @Centre_Square In fact I did retweet the article about how it is hard to cancel Cosby. I get it. But he shouldn't perform.
I think one in a Hundred thousand people support Cosby. I am gonna stop responding to them so often. It is just maddening though. So cold.