Bill Cosby arrives to sexual assault trial with 'Cosby Show' actress Keshia Knight Pulliam

Impact

Bill Cosby arrived to the Montgomery County Courthouse on Monday for the first day of his sexual assault trial with an unofficial character witness: Keshia Knight Pulliam, the actress who played Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show

According to Time, Pulliam and Cosby walked "arm in arm" as the two wordlessly entered the courthouse, where the formerly beloved TV patriarch will face charges for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in 2004.

Pulliam spoke out in support of Cosby in 2015 in interviews with multiple media organizations, saying the allegations against him didn't reflect her experiences working alongside the actor and comedian.

"Ultimately, I wasn't there," Pulliam told E! of the allegations. "So I can't really speak to what transpired, I can only speak to the man I know. And he was an amazing, philanthropic, inspirational guy who always treated me very well. …He's done a lot, in general."

In an interview with Access Hollywood Live, Pulliam struck a similar tone, calling Cosby "awesome" and telling the outlet she could "only speak to the man [she] experienced and knows."

"Everything that’s happened, it’s so unfortunate, the whole thing is very, very unfortunate," Pulliam said. "But I can’t ignore the legacy he’s built."

Other Cosby Show cast members have thrown their support behind Cosby — or, at the least, have thrown skepticism at the 60 sexual assault allegations against him. 

Phylicia Rashad, who played Clair Huxtable, has said she believes the accusations against Cosby are part of an "orchestrated" scheme to sully his legacy and keep him off television. In 2014, Raven Symoné referred to the allegations as nothing more than a "disgusting rumor" of which she wanted no part. A few months later, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo on the show, offered his former TV dad some sympathy.  

"I can't speak on the other stuff," he told Billboard regarding the assault allegations. "Just as it's painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it's just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this."

June 12, 2017, 6:43 p.m.: This story has been updated.