Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman Pull Endorsements of Cosby Biography

Following the release of documents from a decade-old deposition, wherein comedian Bill Cosby admitted he previously obtained powerful drugs to give to prospective sexual partners, several of his A-list friends are turning their backs on him.

The biography Cosby: His Life and Times, which was authored by former CNN Executive Vice President and NBC News Washington bureau chief Mark Whitaker, was released in Sep. 2014, and is full of celebrity blurbs praising the family-friendly former icon.

Stars such as Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Billy Crystal, and Mary Tyler Moore fawned over Cosby, either in the book, or in its promotional materials, but following Cosby’s own admission and accusations he drugged and/or raped dozens of women over his long career; their loyalty has run out.

Cary Goldstein, a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster, the book’s publisher, told the Hollywood Reporter Wednesday all celebrity endorsements have been removed from online retailers, such as Amazon, and no endorsements are expected to be published in copies of the book in the future, following complaints from stars.

Seinfeld is quoted on the back of the book as saying, “I know certain religions forbid idol worship. If anyone ever told me I had to stop idolizing Bill Cosby, I would say, ‘Sorry, but I’m out of this religion.’ So if you want to join the Religion of Cosby, as I did back in 1966, Mark Whitaker’s wonderful new book would be our Bible.”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tom Keaney, a representative for both Seinfeld and Letterman said Wednesday, “We were unaware that those quotes were still in circulation, and are asking the publisher to refrain from their future use.”

Reps for the other stars have not commented as of Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Washington Post, Mark Whitaker previously addressed his failure to discuss previous accusations of rape against Cosby through this unverified Twitter account:

Cosby: His Life and Times is currently available at Amazon, where used hardcover copies can be purchased for $0.01, and new copies are going for as low as $0.48.

In addition to losing his biography’s celebrity endorsements, Page Six reported Wednesday Bill Cosby has also been cut from a documentary about black stuntmen, who were “painted down” to appear as doubles for black actors.