Bill Cosby release sparks worries it will set back #MeToo progress

When America watched Bill Cosby go off to prison nearly three years ago, it was perhaps the most stunning development yet of the nascent #MeToo movement, which had emerged in late 2017 with allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Bill Cosby's surprise release from prison stirred concern among women's advocates that it will erode recent gains in Hollywood and beyond to hold men accountable for harassment and abuse. The 83-year-old comedian and actor was freed on Wednesday after Pennsylvania's highest court overturned a 2018 verdict that found him guilty of sexual assault. Activists, who had celebrated his conviction as a watershed moment, strongly condemned the new decision.