Cast of 'The Cosby Show' minus Lisa Bonet reunites at TV Land Awards
When is a TV show reunion not a real reunion?
When one of the key cast members is missing.
That's what happened Sunday when the cast of the groundbreaking "The Cosby Show" got together to celebrate the series at the TV Land Awards.
Though most of the cast, including Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Sabrina Le Beauf and Tempestt Bledsoe, attended the festivities, there was one notable absence -- Lisa Bonet, who played teenage daughter Denise when the show premiered.
Spokespersons for the event said Bonet was invited but didn't attend "due to a scheduling conflict." However, her absence was not all that surprising: Bonet has had a fractious relationship with the series, declining to participate in previous retrospectives.
In an interview in the Washington Post in 2002 about her decision to skip an NBC retrospective, "The Cosby Show: A Look Back," Bonet said, "The whole experience and energy behind it felt disingenuous and motivated by corporate profit. I felt devalued and disrespected."
Bonet was one of the most popular characters when "The Cosby Show" premiered on NBC in 1984. The sitcom, which featured Cosby and Rashad as the Huxtables, the upscale parents of five children, was credited with reinvigorating NBC and the sitcom format. It also revolutionized the portrayals of African American families on TV.
The actress was the star of a 1987 spin-off, "A Different World," in which her character went off to attend Hillman College, a fictional black school. But she left following the first season after announcing that she and rocker husband Lenny Kravitz were having a baby. She provoked controversy when she appeared nude in the 1987 film "Angel Heart."
Bonet, who changed her name legally to Lilakoi Moon, has appeared sporadically in films during the last several years, and had a featured role in ABC's "Life On Mars" in 2008. She and Kravitz are divorced, but their daughter, Zoe Kravitz, has appeared in several films.
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Photos: Ninth annual TV Land Awards
-- Greg Braxton
Photo: Bill Cosby addresses the audience at the TV Land Awards, accompanied by "Cosby Show" cast members Credit: Charles Sykes / Associated Press
Who cares about Lisa Bonet - look at Keshia Knight Pulliam, who is gorgeous.
Posted by: Miffy | April 11, 2011 at 06:11 PM
ughhhh c'mon Lisa... I was hoping she would at least attend. She played my fave character on the show. Such a party pooper.
Posted by: Charmaine | April 11, 2011 at 10:03 PM
The Cosby Show was and still is my favorite series and they made me want to join in on their family. I believe that even in real life, they all have a special connections although they are not really blood relatives. Lisa can really put aside all her differences just for the show's appearances.
Posted by: Kristyn | April 12, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Why is there no mention of Ron Palillo (Horshack) from "Welcome Back Kotter" being a no-show at the TV Land Awards? What was his reason for snubbing the show and the GMA cast interview?
Posted by: Dale | April 12, 2011 at 11:56 AM
I like Lisa and all but homegirl is one ungrateful person. She should be blessed that someone like Bill Cosby gave her so many chances and all she did was blew them all away. She can't be saying that she has a busy schedule and she doesn't work that much like the other black actresses in hollywood. The only people in her family that have busy schedules in Lenny and Zoe, they seem like they are grateful people. It would be nice she did these reunions before Bill leaves this earth. She can't be holding grudges against people forever, because that is not healthy and doesn't make a person feel good inside. But I will say that I am very proud of everybody for working letting the public see them work after show ended. But Bill didn't need to tell Lisa who she can marry and have a baby with. Congrats to Bill, Phylicia, Malcolm, Sabrina, Raven, Lisa, Tempestt , Kiesha and other cast members for their award.
Posted by: EmmaV | April 14, 2011 at 06:37 PM
Can't wait to see this award show for the first time on Sunday.
Posted by: EmmaV | April 14, 2011 at 06:39 PM
I can accept Lisa's decision to be a "no-show". The Cosby Show has always been a family oriented show. The way she has carried herself in such a manner that may not be in keeping with the upstanding citizenship of Mr. Cosby, Mrs. Rashad, and the others. I thank Lisa for for being so gracious as to not share the stage with
Posted by: Martina | April 17, 2011 at 08:44 PM
I must say, I was not surprised by the fact that Lisa did not show. Disappointed, but not surprised. Lisa is her own person, and she has made it clear throughout the years that she does not want a part of the Cosby Show franchise any longer. Denise was my favourite character because I am so much like Denise; but Denise and Lisa are two completely different entities. I respect her decision of not showing, but do hold a glimmer of hope that one day she does decide to do a reunion show.
Posted by: Marissa | April 19, 2011 at 07:33 PM
The article neglects to mention that “the artist formerly known as Lisa Bonet” was fired from the show for repeatedly showing up late and being very difficult to work with, hence her absence from the show’s last season. Obviously, the flakiness to which her Denise character devolved as the series went on was reflected in her actual life.
Posted by: Smitty | April 20, 2011 at 07:56 AM