Cosby Show star reacts to job-shaming controversy

Actor Geoffrey Owens is speaking out after a photo of him working as a cashier at a New Jersey grocery store went viral.

The Daily Mail and Fox News were criticised for job-shaming Owens, who famously played Huxtable son-in-law Elvin for five seasons on The Cosby Show, by suggesting that bagging groceries was not worthy work.

The coverage prompted swift backlash, with many of Owens's fellow actors sharing their own experiences of taking on jobs to make ends meet between acting roles. Both celebrities and the general public argued that there was nothing to be ashamed of for earning a living.

Now Owens is speaking up for himself. The performer, who has recently appeared on shows like Lucifer, The Affair, and Divorce, addressed the response to his grocery-store gig during an appearance on Good Morning America Tuesday morning.

The 57-year-old has since quit working at the branch of Trader Joe's because of the media attention surrounding it, but he proudly wore his employee badge on the show.

Owens credited the supermarket chain, where he worked for 15 months, with giving him the flexibility to work shifts around his acting career. He noted that many of his acting jobs are short-term, requiring a back-up source of income.