Steve Harvey considered Bill Cosby a mentor, as the veteran comedian had been in the game decades before him. Before he was known as a media mogul, Harvey sought guidance from Cosby as he figured out his career. Over time, they grew to be close friends who even spent time with each others' families. "Bill Cosby taught me something when I first got started," he recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. "He said, 'Steve you have the ability to make people laugh. And once you make people laugh, you have their attention... You have to be careful with the power.'"

However, Bill Cosby had long faced these horrifying allegations even though they didn't reach the wider public until 2014. In the years following, a whopping 60 women came forward claiming to be victims of Cosby's sexual abuse. Many of these crimes he perpetrated by drugging the women with pills and alcohol. No matter how many accounts were made, Cosby staunchly denied all allegations.

When Harvey attempted to support his friend amid news of the trial, it didn't go as planned. "...He said 'Hey man, I appreciate you calling, but just stay away from me right now. You don't need none of this on you," the "Family Feud" host said. "Whatever happens to me, happens to me, but don't you get none of this on you.' That's an amazing thing for a guy to say."