Bill Cosby Speaks Out on Charity Event Details

I would like to take issue with three points in “It Pays to Be a Star on Charity Circuit” (Dec. 8) and Steve Lopez’s column, “Hollywood Is Taking Charities for a Ride” (Dec. 10).

Why “Cosby didn’t simply forgo the [$75,000] fee”: Upon accepting Aaron Tonken’s offer [to appear at a benefit], I instructed my agent to have a check prepared for $75,000, made payable to the charity, which I would hand to the charity representatives at the event. Is there a nicer surprise than to have me personally present the $75,000 check to the charity?

I was to “receive a luxury sedan”: The contract states that the sedan was to be “provided” for me, for transportation to and from the airport and event, but your readers cannot know that based on what your article and Lopez’s column said.

I would get $10,000 in “walking-around money”: For me to fly on my plane round trip from my home in Massachusetts to and from the event in Los Angeles, it costs me $2,000 per hour at an approximate total flying time of 10 1/2 hours; $10,000 is way below my cost to make the trip. By the time I fly from Massachusetts to Los Angeles, I have no “walking-around money.” In the name of Jack Benny, I hope no one asks why I didn’t want to fly on JetBlue....

Bill Cosby

Westfield, Mass.