Keshia Knight-Pulliam Gets the Boot from ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ over Bill Cosby

Who knew being a Huxtable kid could work against you especially when you are a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice?

Mogul Donald Trump has managed to keep his long running vehicle alive by enticing former stars who are hoping for another chance in the spotlight and are willing to do whatever it takes to secure the top prize.

Keshia Knight-Pulliam best known as Rudy – the youngest and cutest of the Huxtable clan is making headlines for the unceremonious way she was fired from The Celebrity Apprentice and the reason is hauntingly ironic.

Pulliam was kicked off basically for refusing to contact her former TV dad for assistance, which evidently led to her team’s defeat. Apparently the challenge was monetarily based as they were asked to raise a lot of dough for a bake sale. This meant reaching out to friends in high places and given Pulliam’s history with Bill Cosby – she was naturally encouraged to give him a call.

It is also worthy to note that this episode was filmed well before Cosby’s accusers started their barrage of accusations. Interestingly enough, Pulliam didn’t feel comfortable asking Cosby for money because she hadn’t been in touch with him for like ever, and given the urgency of her team’s plight, she felt it would be more effective to seek assistance from the ones she knew would respond faster.

She did just that but unfortunately her decision didn’t yield the necessary results and she was forced to face the firing squad that comprised of Trump, daughter Ivanka and ousted CNN TV host, Piers Morgan.

The boardroom is never a fun or comfortable place to be regardless of whether you are on the winning or losing side but this time it was unbearable to watch. Pulliam was expectedly grilled by Donald Trump about her refusal to reach out to Cosby despite the fact that she knew it could have potentially boosted her team’s chances at a victory. The former child star tearfully explained that she hadn’t spoken to the now embattled comedian for five years and didn’t feel comfortable asking him for money based on that fact.

This cringe-worthy moment was harder to digest because a year later we are now privy to the supposed vile antics of Cosby and for those of us who are revolted by it, it’s hard not to be relieved that Pulliam chose not to enlist his help.

In the end she was formally dismissed, as Trump made it clear that she was the sole reason why her team didn’t win and her reluctance to reach out to a former contact wasn’t the stuff budding entrepreneurs are made of – “I really believe, if you’d called that gentleman, he would’ve helped you, even if you hadn’t spoken to him in years”. “Gentleman”? Hmm…

It was a weird episode and freakishly coincidental given the current state of affairs and the mounting allegations against Cosby that don’t seem to be going away. His career and reputation are in tatters and none of his former co-stars are speaking up in his defense.

As always, the saga continues….