ATLANTA — Pregnant “Cosby Show” star Keshia Knight Pulliam is speaking out about the end of her brief marriage.
In a tearful interview with Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner, Knight Pulliam said she was blindsided by her husband — former football player Ed Hartwell — when he filed for divorce and asked for a paternity test for the child she is carrying. The couple has been married only seven months.
“I have never cheated on [Hartwell] during my marriage,” Pulliam said. “That’s not who I am.”
The site Young, Black and Fabulous broke the news that Hartwell had filed for divorce in an Atlanta court, just one week after Knight Pulliam announced she was pregnant with a daughter.
Keshia Knight Pulliam and Ed Hartwell attend ‘Finding Dory’ advance screening at AMC Phipps Plaza on June 15, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)
Knight Pulliam, who as a child star was beloved for her role as Rudy Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” said she was not the one who cheated. She also said she did not push for their marriage, and that Hartwell told her he wanted more children.
The former linebacker has a son, Ed Jr., with his ex-wife, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Lisa Wu.
Knight Pulliam said she no longer wants to be married to Hartwell. She just wants to focus on her coming child and to set the record straight, she said.
“This isn’t about fame,” Knight Pulliam said. “This isn’t about social media likes or follows. This is about my character — my integrity as a woman being attacked — and that’s not OK.”
