TORONTO — Embattled comedian Bill Cosby is worried about protesters disrupting the three shows he has scheduled in Ontario this week as his international tour rolls on despite growing allegations of sexual assault.
Cosby issued a statement Tuesday urging people who attend his performances to remain calm if a show is interrupted and to "not confront the person making the disruption."
The 77-year-old comedian is set to perform in Kitchener on Wednesday night, London on Thursday and Hamilton on Friday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Premier Kathleen Wynne said she would not attend any of Cosby's shows in Ontario because of the "very serious" allegations of sexual assault the comedian is facing.
Wynne says she would not go to any of his performances until the allegations against Cosby have been sorted out.
Since November, at least 15 women have come forward with claims Cosby sexually assaulted them decades ago — with some saying he drugged them before he assaulted them.
Cosby, who starred as Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" from 1984 to 1992, has never been criminally charged in connection with any of the allegations, and through his lawyer he has denied them.
At least 10 shows on Cosby's current tour were cancelled or postponed because of the scandal, but his appearances in the three Ontario cities will proceed, despite local opposition.
The venues where Cosby will perform say they have contractual obligations to allow the shows to continue. One venue — Kitchener's Centre In The Square — addressed residents' anger directly.
"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," it said in a blog post, noting that it would also need to pay any "guarantee fee" to Cosby, compensate the promoter for box office losses and show expenses, and refund patrons.
A Kitchener group called Voices Carry has organized an alternative event to raise awareness of sexual assault at the same time as Cosby's show in the city.
