The daughter of Bill Cosby passed away on Friday night at the age of 44.
Ensa Cosby died in Massachusetts, where the family has a large estate. A spokesperson for her father, Andrew Wyatt, announced on Monday afternoon that her death was caused by renal disease, with Ensa having suffered from kidney problems throughout her life.
Her passing comes one month before her father is set to be retried on rape charges in Pennsylvania this April.
This is the second child Cosby has lost, with son Ennis having been murdered in 1997 during a botched carjacking in Los Angeles.
Ensa is survived by her parents Bill and Camille, her siblings Erika, Erinn and Evin and her husband Martin McLean.
Sisters: Ensa Cosby (above) passed away Friday night at the age of 44 reports TMZ
Support system: She was a vocal supporter of her father during his 2017 sexual assault trial, stating that he had been 'publicly lynched in the media' (Ensa and her father in 2016)
Action: She starred on an episode of The Cosby Show (above circled in red) in 1989 during season six
Gone to soon: A spokesperson for Bill Cosby said that Ensa's death was caused by renal failure (above with friends on her wedding day)
Ensa was a yoga instructor at a studio just a few miles from the family compound in Shelburne Falls.
Bill and his wife Camille spend almost all of their time on the 21-acre estate, and have bought up hundreds of acres of land bordering the property to maintain their privacy.
Residents of the town told DailyMail.com back in 2015 that Bill and Camille are seldom seen in town, preferring to stay behind the gates of their compound.
It is also on that compound where the family buried Ennis after his death, with his body laid to rest beneath the herb garden on the property.
Ensa spent most of her youth in Massachusetts, but was still able to experience some incredible moments thanks to her famous dad.
As a child, she presented musician Miles Davis and actress Cicely Tyson with their wedding bands at their 1981 nuptials, which took place at the Cosby family home on Thanksgiving.
She also attended the inauguration of Nelson Mandela alongside her father, who was one of the South African leader's close friends.
Ensa married Martin McLean, 55, in August of 2013, just one year after the two met.
The ceremony took place at trinity Church in Shelburne Falls, and a large reception followed for guests.
Both Ensa and her groom had children from previous relationships at the time that they married.
One of his children, Matthew McLean, was tragically murdered by a friend who stabbed the 21-year-old 70 times back in 2015.
Since the wedding, both Ensa and her groom had been living on the family estate.
McLean had been arrested two years before the couple married in 2011 for attempting to fill a fraudulent prescription in order to obtain 90 pills of oxycodone according to court papers.
Those charges were dismissed with prejudice the following year after McLean entered and successfully completed a rehab program.
The Cosbys: Ensa, who was the basis for the character of Vanessa Huxtable on The Cosby Show, grew up in Massachusetts after Camille moved the family there (Bill and Camille with their children, l to r: Erika, Ensa, Ennis, Evin, Erinn)
Family: She is survived by her parents Bill and Camille, her siblings Erika, Erinn and Evin and her husband Martin McLean (Ensa, Erika and Evin above in 1992)
Family: Ensa worked as a yoga instructor at a studio near her parents' Massachusetts compound (Bill and Camille left in June, Bill right in January)
Home sweet homes: The Cosby family compound in Shelburne Falls, where Ensa and her husband lived (above)
Ensa was one of her father's most vocal supporters during his sexual assault trial back in 2017, and in a statement last May on The Breakfast Club said that the accusations being made against the comedian were racially motivated.
'I'm a very private person and I've chosen to live my life with my family quietly but for my child, my niece and my nephew, and my father, I can't sit quietly anymore. The man portrayed in the media today is not who my father is,' said Ensa.
'The accusations against my father have been one sided since the beginning, and when he tried to defend himself he was sued in civil court. I've seen the accusations become more horrific and extreme with time and I have witnessed my father's reputation and legendary work be dismissed without any proof.'
She continued: 'I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal.'
Ensa then finished out that statement with some very strong words.
'My father has been publicly lynched in the media and my family, my young daughter, my young niece and nephew have had to stand helplessly by and watch the double standard or pretending to protect the rights of some but ignoring the rights of others,' said Ensa.
'And exposing innocent children to such appalling accusations about someone that they love dearly and who has been so loving and kind to them is beyond cruel.'
In an interview just days later with SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish, Cosby responded to his daughter's statement by saying: 'Could be, could be. I can’t say anything, but there are certain things that I look at, and I apply to the situation, and there are so many tentacles. So many different - nefarious is a great word. And I just truly believe that some of it may very well be that.'
The Cosby women have long made a point of standing up for themselves in the media, no matter what public perception may be at that time.
In the wake of Ennis' death, Camille criticized the coverage of his passing by stating: 'Ennis William Cosby did not have a mother. I was a nonentity, an un-person. Yet, when my husband made his more than famous confession to the public about a brief 1970s liaison, my name was printed everywhere. Suddenly, I became well known; not as an intelligent person, but for reasons obviously undesirable.'
Camille also said in that essay that the media had taught her son's killer to hate black men.
The family has yet to issue a statement on Ensa's passing at this time.
BILL Cosby's daughter has died at the age of 44, according to the comic’s spokesman.
Ensa Cosby – who has steadfastly supported her dad through his recent legal woes – passed away in Massachusetts.
Getty - Contributor Ensa Cosby died at the age of 44 from renal disease, a spokesman said
Spokesman Andrew Wyatt said: "Please keep the Cosby family in your prayers and give them peace at this time."
Wyatt told USA Today the Cosby Show star died from renal disease.
She had a history of medical problems and it is thought she was awaiting a kidney transplant, according to TMZ.
Ensa had been a staunch defender of her comic father as he battled sex allegations in recent years.
Cosby is pictured with his daughter Ensa, who died from renal disease
The Mega Agency Ensa has steadfastly supported her dad Bill through his recent legal woes
He was accused of drugging Andrea Constand and then molesting her while she drifted in and out of consciousness at his Philadelphia mansion in 2004.
But Ensa railed against the “media lynching” which she said her dad was subjected to, insisting he was innocent.
She said: “The accusations against my father have been one-sided from the beginning.
“When he tried to defend himself, he was sued in civil court.
“I’ve seen the accusations become more horrific and extreme with time, and I’ve witnessed my father’s reputation and legendary works be dismissed without any proof.”
Ensa is pictured on the one episode of the Cosby Show in which she appeared
Ensa suggested allegations against her father were motivated by racism
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Ensa added: “I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him, and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal.”
Ensa appeared on one episode of The Cosby Show, which ran from 1984 to 1992.
Her death is not the first tragedy to hit the Cosby family.
Bill Cosby’s son Ennis was murdered in a failed robbery attempt in 1997.
AP:Associated Press Bill Cosby's son Ennis, pictured, was killed in a botched robbery in 1997
Judge declares mistrial after jury deadlock in Bill Cosby sexual assault case
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Children With CKD Have Lower IQs
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One possible explanation is that increased plasma levels of uremic solutes resulting from kidney disease may impair synaptic development.
Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may have more intellectual and academic difficulties than other children, according to new research findings.
Kerry Chen, MBBS, of The Children's Hospital at Westmead in Sydney, Australia, and the University of Sydney's Centre for Kidney Research, and colleagues performed a systematic review of 34 observational studies including 3086 children (younger than 21 years) residing in 9 countries. Of the children with CKD, 86% had mild-to-moderate stage disease, 4.7% received dialysis, and 9.8% underwent kidney transplants. Eighteen studies were used for meta-analyses. The overall risk of bias among the studies was high, according to the investigators.
According to results published online ahead of print in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the global cognition of children with CKD was low-average as assessed by the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ). The mean difference in FSIQ was 10.5 points lower for children and adolescents with CKD compared with the general population. By subgroup, scores were 9.39, 11.2, and 16.2 points lower for kids with pre-dialysis CKD, those with kidney transplants, and those on dialysis, respectively. Dialysis patients scored 11.2 and 10.1 FSIQ points lower than children with mild-to-moderate CKD or kidney transplants, respectively. With regard to executive function and memory (verbal and visual), pediatric CKD patients overall scored lower than the general population.
Academically, CKD patients scored 15.7 to 1.22 points lower in mathematics, 9.04 to 0.17 points lower in reading, and 14.2 to 2.53 points lower in spelling. Children with CKD had difficulty in holding information and shifting from 1 stimulus to another, the authors explained. Despite fewer cognitive skills, students with CKD could regulate their behavior.
“Clinically, scores at least one SD [standard deviation] lower in overall intelligence and domain-specific cognitive domains place children at increased risk of poor academic performance at school, reduced quality of life and poor mental health with potential implications for vocational attainment and financial independence as they transition into adulthood,” Dr Chen and his collaborators warned.
Several possible mechanisms might underlie the connection between CKD and intellectual impairment. “Firstly, increased plasma levels of uremic solutes arising from kidney disease may impair synaptic development," Dr Chen explained in a news release from the University of Sydney. “Dialysis may also lead to cognitive impairment through rapid changes in blood pressure.”
Further, the pathologic effects associated with end-stage renal disease, such as anemia, hypertension, and malnutrition, may reduce cognitive function among children on dialysis compared with other CKD stages.
He noted that treatments for CKD may compromise academic achievement. The frequency of sleep disturbances in kids with CKD may result in poor concentration, excessive daytime sleepiness, and lower academic performance.
In addition, Dr Chen observed, “the interactions of complex medication routines and strict dialysis cycles may decrease attentional control, working memory, and executive function-cognitive domains that are important to children's ability to acquire, understand, and retain information in social and educational environments.”
Lastly, he said, ongoing dialysis sessions and recovery from transplant surgeries may decrease the amount and regularity of time spent in the classroom, “with chronic absenteeism potentially preceding loss of interest, withdrawal, and poor school progression.”
In an accompanying editorial, Lori M. Hartwell, president of Renal Support Network in Glendale, California, and a former pediatric CKD patient, agreed: “This is a valuable review of several existing studies; a serious reminder that children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease face medical, psychological, and social barriers to learning; and a clear indication that interventions designed to be responsive to patient needs are necessary.”
References
Chen K, et al "Neurocognitive and educational outcomes in children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. DOI:10.2215/CJN.09650917.
Hartwell LM "Responsive designed interventions are needed to support positive outcomes of children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease" Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. DOI:10.2215/CJN.09650917.
Kids with chronic kidney disease have lower IQs and poorer educational outcomes. University of Sydney; February 22, 2018. [news release]
Ensa Cosby, the 44-year-old daughter of Bill Cosby, died on Friday night in Massachusetts, ET can confirm. She was 44.
A representative for the family tells ET, “The Cosby family thanks many people for their prayers for their beloved and beautiful Ensa, who recently died from renal disease."
Ensa is not the first child Cosby has lost. In 1997, the comedian's son, Ennis, died at age 27 after being murdered by an 18-year-old in a failed attempted robbery.
In the wake of her father's very public fall from grace following dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct, including rape and sexual assault -- which Cosby has consistently denied -- Ensa was one of the members of Cosby's family to defend him.
"I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal," Ensa said in a statement last year. "My father has been publicly lynched in the media and my family, my young daughter, my young niece and nephew have had to stand helplessly by and watch the double standard or pretending to protect the rights of some but ignoring the rights of others and exposing innocent children to such appalling accusations about someone that they love dearly and who has been so loving and kind to them is beyond cruel."
"I’m a very private person and I’ve chosen to live my life with my family quietly, but for my child, my niece and my nephew, and my father, I can’t sit quietly anymore," her statement read. "The man portrayed in the media today is not who my father is."
Reporting by Rande Iaboni.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Bill Cosby's Accusers: A Timeline of Alleged Sexual Assault Claims (Updated)
Bill Cosby Implies Racism, Revenge Behind Sexual Assault Allegations
Bill Cosby Breaks His Silence to Say He's Blind, as Daughter Emotionally Defends Him
