Geoffrey Owens Admits He Was ‘Devastated’ When Trader Joe’s Photo Went Viral
The last five weeks have been a whirlwind for former Cosby star Geoffrey Owens.
After being job shamed for working at Trader Joe's and landing an outpouring of support that resulted in several acting opportunities, Owens is reflecting on the controversial moment that changed his life.
He opened up about the devastating moment and how his family overcame the adversity.
Owens said, "Fortunately, the bad part lasted just a little while. You know, we were pretty devastated when the story came out: the ugly pictures and some ugly words and stuff. We were like, ‘Wow, how are we going to ever get through this,’" in a statement to PEOPLE.
After an unflattering photo of Owens ringing up groceries at Trader Joe's went viral earlier this year, he immediately reached out to his son.
Owens, who was fearful that his son would be "terribly embarrassed" by the viral photos, was stunned by the teen's response.
"He texted me back right away a very beautiful response that meant a lot to me about how proud he was of the choice I'd made to work at Trader Joe's. At that point I knew everything was going to be okay," Owens said.
His son isn't the only family member that's been a beacon of light during this dark time. Owens praised his wife, Josette, for being "completely supportive."
Geoffrey Owens was offered, and recently accepted, a role on Tyler Perry's hit OWN drama The Haves and the Have Nots, after Fox News published a disturbing piece ridiculing the actor for working a blue collar gig.
The biggest and brightest in Hollywood came to Owens' defense, sharing jobs that they worked in between acting jobs. Owens also received a $25,000 donation from Nicki Minaj, that he subsequently donated to the Actor's Fund.
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