COSBY

A Short Film

Based on a True Story

INT. OUTDOOR RESTAURANT, ROOFTOP- NIGHTTIME

ARI (a Black woman) and REBECCA (a White woman) are having a good time at the restaurant, post-meal. One drink becomes two, becomes four. They're clearly having a good time.

REBECCA

No, I was all here for it! I was Miss Home Birth 2020. And then I found out that while you give birth your vagina can rip to your butthole, Ari. Your butthole!

ARI

Stop! No!

REBECCA

Yes!

ARI

No!

REBECCA

Yes! No wonder women want to be cut open like a fish instead. And sometimes-

ARI

We are at the dinner table here!

REBECCA

You have a vaginal birth and you rip and then you can't control your anal sphincter-

ARI

No! You did not say anal sphincter-

REBECCA

Like, you can't control it! When you poop! Granted, I still want a home birth for my imaginary child. And you will be in attendance.

ARI

You are too much!

REBECCA

Yes I am. Alright.

Rebecca takes a big gulp from her margarita.

REBECCA

Against my better judgment. I have to ask.

ARI

Oh Lord! Here we go.

Ari takes a swig that matches Rebecca’s.

REBECCA

You have one too many and then it gets real.

ARI

Come out with it, child. What?

REBECCA

You said earlier Bill Cosby’s innocent?

Beat.

ARI

Oh dang. You want to go there?

REBECCA

You believe that? That he’s innocent?

ARI

I do.

REBECCA

As in, you don’t think he raped those women?

ARI

No. I don’t think he did.

REBECCA

Alright. That’s. Okay. Okay. Can you tell me why you think he's innocent?

ARI

Girl. How long have you got?

REBECCA

No, I’m serious!

ARI

If you’ll just give me a second to prop myself on this soapbox.

Ari pretends to physically prop herself up, as Rebecca mimes like she's assisting.

REBECCA

Get comfy, I’m here to listen.

ARI

Ahem. Let’s take a look at some white men who are not behind bars. Take Woody Allen. He molested his young daughter, married his stepdaughter, has a track record of creepiness towards underage girls, and he's still making movies starring Selena Gomez. Roman Polanski. He pled guilty to drugging and raping a thirteen year old girl, released an autobiography saying he likes young teens, went on record saying "Everyone wants to fuck young girls", and he's living the life in Europe, getting all those residuals. And what about Donald Trump, who has 25 people that have accused him of sexual assault. 2-5. He got caught on tape saying "Grab 'em by the pussy, you can do anything" and he's the president of the free world. Bill Cosby has always claimed his innocence, so, let's start there.

REBECCA

You’re completely right. But just because old, powerful, white men get away with raping girls, which in no way is fair, that doesn't mean Cosby is innocent.

ARI

This isn't the first time white people have tried to take down a Black man, Rebecca. In the real world, it's George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Abery, Tamir Rice, just to name a few. And in Hollywood, the fall is what kills. White Hollywood fetishizes you for being a 'good' Black man, and then they wait for you to fall. And when you don't, when you're not what they want you to be, when you're not angry, when you're not a criminal, when you're a doctor and a father figure and a successful, beautiful, strong, intelligent, Black man, they create something to knock you off that pedestal so they can say they were right all along. So they can say that Black men are dangerous predators who should be locked up. Because, "See, even Cosby is a predator." So what does that mean for the rest of us? What does that mean for Black Americans?

REBECCA

Those deaths are unacceptable. There is no excuse, and as Americans, we must do better. But Cosby can be strong, and intelligent, and a doctor, he can be someone who did so much good for the Black community, and he can also be a rapist. It's an awful reality, but it's not an either or situation, Ari.

ARI

So, you don’t think it’s a little suspect all these women came out of the woodwork decades later?

REBECCA

You think these women made it up?

ARI

They might have. These women are white, Rebecca, they don't understand.

REBECCA

But all the accusers aren’t white. Why would they lie?

ARI

For money. For fame. Their accusations don't add up.

REBECCA

Unless you’re not mentally stable, literally no one wants that kind of attention. It's not fame. It's shameful. I can't imagine these women making any amount of money that's worth how much they were attacked in the public eye.

ARI

They were attacked because they were saying some decades later that something happened. Why didn't they speak up earlier?

REBECCA

It takes time to process trauma. And to find the courage to speak out. Especially against someone so powerful, especially against someone you respected. It's hard to believe it yourself. You don't want to believe it.

ARI

Well, it’s just a little strange that however many years later they say it wasn't consensual when they went to his house and were at his party and were drinking alcohol.

REBECCA

These women said they were drugged.

ARI

Then how did they remember?

Beat.

REBECCA

Do you believe me, that I remember?

ARI

Yes, of course. This is different.

REBECCA

It just, doesn’t feel different, ya know? I just, I need a minute. I'm sorry, I just need a minute.

Rebecca gets up to leave, and Ari is left at the table. She gets up, and goes to look out over the city skyline. Emotion covering her face.

Rebecca goes into the bathroom, locks the stall, and lets out emotion. Two frames, side by side, Ari and Rebecca ‘back to back’ in the frame.

Back to the full screen of Ari, looking over the skyline, then heading back to the table. Cut to Rebecca, putting on makeup to mask tears.

Ari waits at the table. Rebecca sits down beside her.

REBECCA

Well, that really was against my better judgment! You want to grab the check?

Awkward silence.

ARI

Are you okay?

REBECCA

Yeah, yeah! I’m fine.

ARI

Am I never gonna see your ass again after this?

REBECCA

What? No, we’re good. We’re good.

Silence.

ARI

I just want to say, that, I don't know what I know. I'm learning everyday and I'm trying to listen and understand. You know?

REBECCA

I don’t know what I know either. And I can't pretend to know how hard it is to be Black in America. I know, it's a privilege to be white, and there's so much, I don't understand. I know Cosby broke through a lot of racist stereotypes. This particular topic just hit a nerve, ya know? It's hard with my history, my family calling me crazy and saying I'm making accusations to get attention. And the man who drugged me, who violated me consciously and unconsciously as a kid, he's a doctor and he's the one my family believes. I'm seen as crazy and he's above reproach. They defend him, but who’s left to defend me, ya know? It just triggered something. But I want to understand your pain, not just my own.

ARI

Yeah, but I want you to know I believe you. And I've never questioned your truth or thought that you were crazy or any of that. This is different. I'm with you, you know that, right?

REBECCA

Yeah. And I’m with you, too. Always, lady.

ARI

Does that mean you're with me in another round?

REBECCA

Let’s make it a double. Lawd knows we need it.

ARI

Done and done. So, is this next round an appropriate time to bring up the O.J. Simpson trial or...?

Rebecca dies laughing.

REBECCA

Stop! Get out of here with that!

THE END