Still in Prison Bill Cosby Breaks His Silence, Maintains His Innocence

Bill Cosby spoke for the first time since his Sept. 2018 conviction on charges of aggravated indecent assault.

During an exclusive interview with the National Newspaper Publisher's Association (NNPA), the 82-year-old maintained that he is innocent and did not commit the alleged crimes.

"I have eight years and nine months left. When I come up for parole, they're not going to hear me say that I have remorse. I was there," Cosby said. "I don't care what group of people come along and talk about this when they weren't there. They don't know."

Cosby said his trials were a mockery and unfair.

"It's all a setup. That whole jury thing. They were imposters. Look at the woman who blew the whistle. Then she went in and came out smiling. It's something attorneys will tell you is called a payoff," Cosby said.

He referred to himself as a "privileged man" in prison and looks forward to speaking every week to other inmates in a reform program.

The program, Mann Up, encourages and empowers African American men to pursue pride, dignity and place their families first.

Cosby recalled entering Temple University as a young man during the 1960s with a desire to become a teacher.

"I'm not a psychiatrist, and I'm not a psychologist. I'm an educator, and what I look forward to is talking to this group of 400 or so men. Some of them here are in their 70s, in their 50s, their 40s, 30s, and 20s," Cosby said.

The former comedian and actor said he is right where he is supposed to be - reaching other African American men.

"I'm reaching them because they want to be reached. They're in prison. I don't forget a saying, one I quoted or read in a book, which says, 'I don't know the secret to success, but I do know the secret for failure.' You can't please everybody. I have a feeling that these people (Mann Up participants) really want somebody. They have rappers here who are strong and spirited people. They don't just blame people; they say, 'we've got to do it,'" Cosby concluded.

Cosby received no special treatment from the prison for doing the interview. 

Inmates are permitted to use the phone only for 15 minutes so Cosby had to call NNPA back multiple times to complete the interview.