Former "Cosby Show" star Geoffrey Owens, who went viral for a photo taken during his time as a Trader Joe's cashier in 2018, has revealed he still faces financial challenges years after what he described as an "attack on my privacy."
The actor, who famously portrayed Elvin Tibideaux on the six-time Emmy-winning series, opened up about his financial situation, saying during an appearance on Atlanta's V-103 radio station that he's "not much better off" than when the photo was snapped.
"Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living," he said, according to the New York Post. "I struggle every day to make my ends meet. And people can't get their heads around that because they see me in movies."
Owens explained that his residual checks "were never particularly wonderful" because he only acted in "maybe 20% of shows" on the hit series.
"People have a false impression of what the average middle-class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry," he said.
Owens managed to go largely unnoticed until the Trader Joe's photo began circulating online. The initial reaction was disheartening.
"At first, there was some negative stuff about basically the job shaming. A 'where is he now' kinda thing," he said. "But then, very soon after that, there was all this support and encouragement from all over the world."
Owens noted that he was concerned about his invasion of privacy and decided to leave the job.
"It was strange because someone had been in the store taking pictures," Owens said. "And I was like, now that this is breaking, I'm not going to feel comfortable working in this store wondering who is around with a camera. It would just be too weird. I'm a very private person."
Fears of public scrutiny fueled his decision.
"It wasn't like I quit knowing I would be making a lot of money soon or anything. I just felt like I wasn't going to be able to handle that kind of scrutiny and attack on my privacy," he said.
There was an outpouring of support as the photo gained traction online. Nicki Minaj sent him $25,000, but Owens donated the money to charity, saying it "didn't feel right to keep" receiving cash without working for it. Instead, he focused on rebuilding his career, taking on roles in productions like Tyler Perry's "The Haves and the Have Nots" and 50 Cent's "Power" series.
Currently, Owens is starring opposite Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. in the CBS sitcom "Poppa's House."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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