Journalist Who Captured Buress' Cosby Joke Dies at 43

Dan McQuade's viral video of Hannibal Buress calling Bill Cosby a "rapist" helped spur broader coverage of sexual assault allegations.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 4:31pm

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Dan McQuade, a Philadelphia journalist whose 2014 video of comedian Hannibal Buress calling Bill Cosby a "rapist" during a standup routine went viral and helped spur intense media scrutiny of the once-beloved entertainer over sexual assault allegations, died at age 43 from neuroendocrine cancer.

Why it matters

McQuade's video was a catalyst in the downfall of Bill Cosby, who had long been celebrated as a pioneering and family-friendly comedian before dozens of women came forward with accusations that he had drugged and sexually assaulted them over the years. The video helped bring the allegations into the public spotlight and led to Cosby's eventual conviction and civil lawsuits.

The details

On October 16, 2014, McQuade recorded Buress' standup routine at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia, where Buress called out Cosby's "smuggest old Black man public persona" and said "Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches." McQuade posted the 1 minute, 40 second video the next day, and it quickly went viral, prompting many more women to come forward with accusations against Cosby. Cosby was eventually convicted of sexual assault in 2018, though the conviction was later overturned.

  • On October 16, 2014, McQuade recorded Buress' standup routine at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia.
  • The next day, McQuade posted the 1 minute, 40 second video online.

The players

Dan McQuade

A Philadelphia journalist whose viral video of Hannibal Buress calling Bill Cosby a "rapist" helped spur broader coverage of sexual assault allegations against Cosby.

Hannibal Buress

An established stand-up comedian who called out Bill Cosby's "smuggest old Black man public persona" and said "Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches" during a 2014 routine that was recorded by McQuade.

Bill Cosby

A pioneering and once-beloved comedian who was accused by over 50 women of drugging and sexually assaulting them over the years, leading to his conviction in 2018 which was later overturned.

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What they’re saying

“I just pulled my phone out and immediately hit record. And then when I finished, I was, like, 'That's a post.' It was newsworthy.”

— Dan McQuade (Billy Penn)

The takeaway

McQuade's viral video helped bring long-buried allegations against Bill Cosby into the public spotlight, leading to a reckoning over the once-beloved comedian's legacy and the broader issue of sexual assault in the entertainment industry.