Why Bill Cosby told Steve Harvey to ‘stay away’ from him

Steve Harvey isn’t shying away from his friendship with Bill Cosby.

Despite the legal hot water Cosby, 80, has been in since being charged with drugging and molesting former Temple University basketball manager Andrea Constand in 2004, the 60-year-old talk show host credits the funnyman with helping his family out in important ways.

“I haven’t talked to him in a few months, but when I’m your friend, I’m your friend,” Harvey told The Hollywood Reporter, “and Bill Cosby helped my sons at Morehouse [College], and he taught me how to do this business. He didn’t even know me and he taught me how to do this business.”

As soon as the “Little Big Shots” host found out about the accusations Cosby was facing, he reached out to him.

“When I heard all the trouble he was in, I called and asked him how he was doing. You know what he says to me? ‘Hey man, I appreciate you calling, but just stay away from me right now. You don’t need none of this on you. You’re doing good. Whatever happens to me, happens to me, but don’t you get none of this on you,’” Harvey recalled. “That’s an amazing thing for a guy to say.”

Harvey also revealed how he was able to help Warren Beatty after his Best Picture mixup at last year’s Oscars. (Harvey experienced his own major faux pas when he crowned the wrong winner at the 2015 Miss Universe competition.)

“[Beatty] was shell-shocked. He’s old Hollywood. He don’t do negativity. Social media is not in his world. He couldn’t believe the backlash,” Harvey explained. “So I go, ‘Come here, boy. I can get you through this thing. Matter of fact, if you handle it right, you can get a Super Bowl commercial out the deal like I did. And they’ll pay you enough money where you’ll go and say the wrong damn movie next year, too.’”