'The Cosby Show' Star Says 'Job Shaming' Led Him to Quit Trader Joe's Gig after Photos of Him Working at Grocery Store Went Viral — Actor Calls Out 'Attack' on His Privacy
Owens quit his cashier job after he was mocked.
Dec. 26 2024, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
The former Cosby Show star who shocked fans by revealing he was forced to work as a bagger in a Trader Joe's just to make ends meet has said he is still struggling to survive.
Geoffrey Owens admitted even as his acting career has seen a positive rebound, he remains in financial peril, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Owens is still struggling financially years after his appearance on 'The Cosby Show'.
In 2018, RadarOnline.com broke the story that Owens, who played played Elvin Tibideaux on the long-running sitcom, was reduced to scanning groceries in Clifton, New Jersey, for around $11 an hour.
After our report, Owens shared his tale on Good Morning America, and was soon inundated with job offers and roles from the likes of Tyler Perry. He currently appears in the NBC sitcom Poppa's Health, which stars Damon Wayans and his son.
However, just six years later, the now 63-year-old has sadly confessed he's not much better off now than he was back then.
Owens explained that in reality, he was only in about 20% of The Cosby Show episodes – and residuals quickly dried up. Not to mention the show was pulled from syndication for awhile as Bill Cosby dealt with over 60 accusations of sexual assault – including rape.
Residuals dried up after Bill Cosby faced accusations of rape.
With his money gone, along with new acting roles, Owens quickly hit rock bottom.
"People have a false impression of what the average, what I call 'middle-class actor' makes, and their ability to make a living in the industry. So that’s what drove me to work at Trader Joe's to being with."
After RadarOnline.com's story dropped, Owens said he was mocked mercilessly until he was forced to quit his job.
He told Atlanta's V-103 radio station: "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."
When RadarOnline.com first shared his story, Owens was described as a balding and disheveled, and he sported a stained Trader Joe’s T-shirt while manning his post.
Shopper Karma Lawrence said: "He looked bloated and unhappy."
Seeing Owens bagging groceries came as a shock: "It made me feel really bad. I was like, 'Wow! All those years of doing the show and you ended up as a cashier?'"
Despite his grim mood, Owens politely wished Lawrence "a good day" after ringing up her items, she said.
Owens worked at Trader Joes to make ends meet.
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After the story of Owens' humble job went viral, he was hired by actor and director Tyler Perry to appear on the OWN TV series The Haves and the Have Nots for 10 episodes in the show’s sixth season. He also played Commander Adams, an old friend of Scott Bakula's character on NCIS: New Orleans.
Perry offered him a job over X (then called Twitter): "GeoffreyOwens I'm about to start shootings OWN's number one drama next week! Come join us!!! I have so much respect for people who hustle between gigs. The measure of a true artist."
Days after his story was shared, Owens went on Good Morning America to tell fans not to pity him for his situation.
He insisted: "No one should feel sorry for me. I’ve had a great life. I’ve had a great career. I’ve had a career that most actors would die for. So no one has to feel sorry for me. I’m doing fine!"
