Actor Geoffrey Owens, 63, is speaking out years after facing backlash for working at a Trader Joe’s store.
Owens is best known for playing Elvin Tibideaux on the groundbreaking television series “The Cosby Show” from 1985 to 1992.
Back in 2018, fans discovered Owens had taken a job bagging groceries when a photo of the Yale University graduate inside Trader Joe’s spread across the internet.
While some social media users shamed Owens, he also had a large number of supporters pushing back on the hateful reactions aimed his way.
Owens recently stopped by the V-103 radio station in Atlanta. He was asked about dealing with the negativity over him taking a “regular” job.
“It was mostly good,” Owens acknowledged. “At first, there was some negative stuff about basically the job-shaming. A ‘where is he now’ kinda thing.”
The son of former New York congressman Major Owens continued, “But then, very soon after that, there was all this support and encouragement from all over the world.”
Owens revealed, “I quit Trader Joe’s before the news hit,” referring to the international spotlight placed on him when the pictures from the grocery store went viral.
“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 explained.
Owens praised Trader Joe’s and admitted he asked to return to the store for more hours. Despite working in the entertainment industry since the 1980s, he emphasized that he still has financial hardships.
“Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living. I struggle every day to make my ends meet. And people can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies,” he stated.
When asked about receiving residual payments for his work on “The Cosby Show,” Owens replied, “Which were never particularly wonderful for me, I was here and there. I did maybe twenty percent of the shows.”
The official Instagram page of “The Big Tigger Morning Show” shared a portion of the Owens interview to the social media site, which garnered varied comments from fans.
“Absolutely nothing wrong with honest work!” someone exclaimed. Another person declared, “But when he was on screen, he left a lasting impression.”
However, a skeptical YouTube commenter asked, “What exactly are his expenses that he’s still not on his feet??”
The person added, “Why does a college-educated man, who graduated with honors, have to go back to Trader Joe’s to work? Why doesn’t he teach acting again? Something doesn’t sound right to me.”
After the Trader Joe’s story blew up, Geoffrey was able to secure more Hollywood gigs. Billionaire filmmaker Tyler Perry cast him in “The Haves and the Have Nots.”
Owens also appeared in the 50 Cent-produced “Power” and “Power Book II: Ghost” dramas on Starz cable network. He also landed a role on “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Billions,” and “All I Rise.”
He currently has a recurring role on the “Poppa’s House” sitcom from Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., which premiered in October.
This holiday season saw Owens portray Mr. Santa in the family-friendly “Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza” movie. “In Living Color” alum Tommy Davidson has also joined the cast.
“The Cosby Show” originally aired on NBC from Sept. 20, 1984, to April 30, 1992. The main cast featured Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Sabrina Le Beauf, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Raven-Symoné.
Reruns of “The Cosby Show” were removed from several networks after Cosby was accused and later convicted of sexual assault in 2018. The comedian’s conviction was eventually overturned. However, the classic sitcom is still only available on Philo and Amazon Prime Video.
On no longer getting “Cosby Show” syndication checks, Geoffrey said in a 2018 interview with People, “Yes, it impacted me financially. At the time that the show was pulled, that did make a difference in our income.”
He also told the magazine, “That was one of the elements that led to my getting to the place where I said to myself, ‘I have to do something’ and I was thinking, ‘What can I do?’ and the answer ended up being Trader Joe’s, which is actually a wonderful situation for me in many ways.”
