‘Cosby Show’ Actor Geoffrey Owens Says He’s Broke After Having To Quit Job At Trader Joe’s After Photos Of Him Were Published By Tabloids

Actor Geoffrey Owens has given an honest assessment of his current financial position.

Owens, best known for his role as Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show, has appeared in various popular TV shows, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, That’s So Raven, NCIS: New Orleans and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. In 2018, he went viral after photos of him bagging groceries at a Trader Joe’s circulated the internet.

In his interview with a local radio station, Owens said, “I quit Trader Joe’s before the news hit. It was strange because someone had been in the store taking pictures, and I was like, ‘Well, now that this is breaking, I’m not going to feel comfortable working in this store wondering who’s around with a camera. It’s gonna be just too weird.’ I’m a very private person.”

Owens continued, “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 the kind of scrutiny, that kind of attack on my privacy.”

Many internet users commented how it is a well-known fact that celebrities, by virtue of being high-profile, are not awarded standard privacy measures in society, and Owens should have been aware of this before pursuing a career in acting.

Recalling the response the photos received, Owens revealed that multiple celebrities had contacted him to offer financial support, including Tyler Perry, who offered him a role in the drama The Haves and Have Nots, and Nicki Minaj, who gave him $25,000. Owens said that he ended up giving the money she gifted him to charity because “at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do.”

Owens acknowledged his ongoing concern regarding money: “Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living. I struggle every day to make ends meet, and people can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies, whether it’s ‘Mr. Santa’, or, you know, I’m on ‘Poppa’s House’ on CBS: all the TV shows I’ve done and all that stuff. People have the impression that, ‘Well, you’re making a lot of money. What’s the problem? Why would you have financial troubles?’ They don’t understand the specifics of how the industry works.”

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