Comedian Bill Cosby returned to stand-up Thursday night in Canada as part of a three set tour, where he shocked a crowd by making light of the allegations he drugged and sexually assaulted more than 20 women, saying, “You have to be careful about drinking around me.”
During the London, Ontario performance a woman on the front row reportedly stood up, which led Cosby to stop his routine and ask her where she was going. The woman informed Cosby that she was going to “get a drink,” and even asked the beleaguered family icon if she could get him one while she was out.
Cosby reportedly replied “I already have one,” and pointed to a bottle of water that was sitting next to him on the stage, before he added, “You have to be careful about drinking around me.”
Cosby’s joke apparently left audience members gasping, but eventually he received a round of applause.
At one point during the performance, another audience member yelled, “You are a rapist,” according to Blackburn News reporter Ashton Patis. She tweeted throughout the show:
Cosby reportedly then asked the audience to “stop yelling” and pleaded for their patience. The heckler was quickly removed from the theater by security, and the show continued:
Despite the awkward moments, Patis reported that Cosby ended the show to a standing ovation. He is set to finish out the Canadian leg of his North American tour in Hamilton on Friday night.