Denise Huxtable

The Cosby Show follows the daily goings-on of the Huxtable family, an upper-middle class African American family who reside in Brooklyn, New York. The family is run by Dr. Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby), an obstetrician, and his wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad), a lawyer. The second eldest of their five children,{{Cite web|url=http://www.goliath.com/tv/10-tv-characters-that-were-killed-off-because-of-uncooperative-actors/3/|title=10 TV Characters That Were Killed Off Because Of Uncooperative Actors|last=Walcott|first=Wes|date=September 29, 2015|website=Goliath|access-date=August 14, 2017}} Denise is a younger sister of Sondra (Sabrina Lebeauf) and an elder sister to Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe) and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam).{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-cosby-show/details|title=The Cosby Show: Season 1 – Details & Credits|website=Metacritic|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016040445/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-cosby-show/details|archive-date=2017-10-16|access-date=August 10, 2017}} After graduating from high school, Denise leaves home to pursue post-secondary education at the fictional, historically black Hillman College,{{Cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=Luchina |last2=Ruffolo |first2=Joe |last3=Messer |first3=Lesley |date=September 20, 2014 |title='The Cosby Show' Turns 30: 30 Things You May Not Have Known About the Show |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/cosby-show-turns-30-30-things-show/story?id=25605293 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517192923/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/cosby-show-turns-30-30-things-show/story?id=25605293 |archive-date=May 17, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |website=ABC News}} the college both her parents and grandparents had attended.{{Cite web|url=https://lasentinel.net/reel-talk-best-black-sitcoms.html|title=Reel Talk 'Best Black Sitcoms'|last=Miller|first=Kenneth|date=February 21, 2013|website=Los Angeles Sentinel|access-date=July 29, 2017}}

A Different World focuses on the character during her freshman and sophomore years at Hillman,{{Cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/18406/5-mysteries-surrounding-cosby-show|title=5 Mysteries Surrounding The Cosby Show|last=Kovalchik|first=Kara|date=April 9, 2008|website=Mental Floss|access-date=July 27, 2017|archive-date=May 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523212233/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/18406/5-mysteries-surrounding-cosby-show|url-status=dead}} revolving around her as she meets new friends and adjusts to college life. However, Denise constantly struggles with her finances and academics to the point that she ultimately drops out,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8nCDLzUYjccC&q=denise&pg=PA16|title=Raising Doctors on a Patient's Salary|last=McGuire|first=Sr. Dr. Jesse R.|publisher=AuthorHouse|year=2010|isbn=9781449076993|location=United States|pages=16|via=Google Books}} becoming the first member of her family to drop out of college.{{Cite web |last=Ramos |first=Dino-Ray |date=April 30, 2015 |title=Binge-Watching 'A Different World': 17 Things You Totally Forgot About This Guilt-Free 'Cosby Show' Spin-Off |url=http://www.etonline.com/news/163731_17_things_you_forgot_about_a_different_world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515224640/http://www.etonline.com/news/163731_17_things_you_forgot_about_a_different_world/ |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |access-date=July 29, 2017 |website=Entertainment Tonight}}{{Cite web|url=https://deereetoday.com/2015/05/19/a-different-world/|title=A Different World.|date=May 19, 2015|website=deereetoday|access-date=July 29, 2017}} After leaving Hillman, Denise returns to her childhood home in the hopes of forging her own "alternative path" towards success.{{Cite web|url=http://ca.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/best-black-sitcoms/cosby-show|title=The 25 Best Black Sitcoms of All Time|last=Kimble|first=Julian|date=February 11, 2013|website=Complex|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303114752/http://ca.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/best-black-sitcoms/|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=July 29, 2017|df=mdy-all}}

Initially interested in becoming either a fashion designer or record producer,{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Robert E. |author-link=Robert E. Johnson (editor) |date=September 19, 1988 |title=Lisa Bonet: How Bill Cosby Will Handle Return of His Prodigal Daughter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lr0DAAAAMBAJ&q=the+cosby+show+denise+huxtable&pg=PA56 |access-date=August 2, 2017 |work=Jet |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |pages=56–58 |via=Google Books |issn=0021-5996}} Denise pursues several short-lived part-time jobs, from which she is either fired or quits after a brief period of time, before traveling to Africa to work as a wildlife photographer's assistant. Denise returns to the Huxtable household one year later, this time as the second wife of a divorced United States Navy officer, Lt. Martin Kendall (Joseph C. Phillips) – who she has married without her family's knowledge – and stepmother to his three-year-old daughter Olivia (Raven-Symoné).{{Cite book |last=Hyatt |first=Wesley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SrmJCgAAQBAJ&q=bonet&pg=PA323 |title=Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948–2004 |publisher=McFarland |year=2006 |isbn=9781476608747 |location=United States |pages=323 |via=Google Books}} After developing an interest in teaching children with learning disabilities, Denise eventually decides to enroll at Medgar Evers College. When Martin receives a posting to a naval base in Singapore, he and Denise move there and leave Olivia in the Huxtables' care. In the series finale, Denise telephones the family from Singapore to announce that she and Martin are now expecting their first child together.

Comedian Bill Cosby became interested in developing The Cosby Show partially because he was unimpressed with popular family sitcoms airing at the time, some of which often depicted children talking back to and disrespecting their parents without suffering serious consequences.{{Cite web |last=Kovalchik |first=Kara |date=May 8, 2014 |title=20 Fun Facts About The Cosby Show |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/56559/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-cosby-show |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604164842/http://mentalfloss.com/article/56559/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-cosby-show |archive-date=June 4, 2023 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |website=Mental Floss |id=In the pilot episode, Denise is identified as the eldest of only four siblings at the time; elder sister Sondra was written into the series later during season one, making Denise the second-eldest for the remainder of the series.}} Cosby intended for The Cosby Show{{'s}} children to remain intelligent while emphasizing that "their parents were always smarter and—most importantly—in charge." Denise was intended to be the eldest of the Huxtable family's four children. However, Cosby also wanted the show to feature a character who was an example of parents Cliff and Clair having already successfully raised a college-educated child, hence the writers introduced eldest sibling Sondra, a Princeton University graduate, in the second episode, while Denise was relegated to the role of the Huxtable's second eldest child instead. Cosby himself is the father of five children, four daughters and one son, much like his character Cliff.{{Cite web|url=http://www.famefocus.com/tv/17-things-never-knew-cosby-show/|title=17 Things You Never Knew About 'The Cosby Show'|last=Ferguson|first=Kate|date=June 3, 2016|website=Fame Focus|pages=1–17|access-date=July 27, 2017}} All five Huxtable children are based on Cosby's own; Denise in particular was based on the creator's daughter Erinn, who was approximately Denise's same age when the series began in 1984.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Brooke |date=January 17, 2017 |title=What Happened to Lisa Bonet – News & Updates |url=http://gazettereview.com/2017/01/happened-lisa-bonet-news-updates/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609144919/http://gazettereview.com/2017/01/happened-lisa-bonet-news-updates/ |archive-date=June 9, 2023 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=The Gazette Review}}

According to Cosby: His Life and Times author Mark Whitaker, Cosby conceived Denise as a "hip, fashion-conscious, and a bit flaky" character.{{Cite book |last=Whitaker |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Whitaker (journalist) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RPhtAwAAQBAJ&q=denise+huxtable |title=Cosby: His Life and Times |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2014 |isbn=9781451697995 |location=United States |pages=298, 331, 345–348 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607135653/https://books.google.com/books?id=RPhtAwAAQBAJ&q=denise+huxtable |archive-date=June 7, 2024 |via=Google Books}} Early storylines included Denise fighting with younger sister Vanessa over the latter borrowing her sweater without permission, getting her braces removed, announcing her decision to attend college away from home, promising younger brother Theo that she is capable of sewing him a replica of an expensive designer shirt he had purchased, and tricking her parents into believing she had spent a night at a male friend's house to prove a point about their parenting style.{{Cite web |last=Alston |first=Joshua |date=October 24, 2012 |title=How The Cosby Show spoke to race and class in '80s America |url=https://www.avclub.com/how-the-cosby-show-spoke-to-race-and-class-in-80s-amer-1798234177 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112013702/https://www.avclub.com/how-the-cosby-show-spoke-to-race-and-class-in-80s-amer-1798234177 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=The A.V. Club |url-status=live |quote=Bonet became a problem child that would plague her on-screen father for most of the show's run.}} An episode entitled "Jitterbug Break" was written to explore Cosby's interest in the ways in which different generations dance. When Denise's parents deny her permission to attend a concert, some of her friends are invited into their living room which has been converted into a dance floor by rearranging some of the furniture, allowing them room to break dance.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/15/eternal-paternal|title=The Eternal Paternal|last=Sanneh|first=Kelefa|date=September 15, 2014|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=July 27, 2017}} They are eventually joined by a pair of Cliff and Clair's swing dancing friends, and a dance battle ensues between the younger and older dancers. In one of the show's more serious episodes, Denise struggles with the revelation that a teenage friend of hers is pregnant.{{Cite web|url=https://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/why-the-cosby-show-still-matters/|title=Why 'The Cosby Show' Still Matters|last=Flanagin|first=Jake|date=September 24, 2014|website=The New York Times|access-date=July 28, 2017}} Several episodes revolving around Denise explore her boyfriends and dating life.{{Cite web|url=https://www.collegefashion.net/inspiration/old-school-tv-style-fashion-inspired-by-the-cosby-show/|title=Old School TV Style: Fashion Inspired by the Cosby Show|last=Chelsea|date=August 30, 2012|website=College Fashion|access-date=October 4, 2017}}

Denise is portrayed by American actress Lisa Bonet, whose acting experience prior to The Cosby Show had been limited to television commercials and a guest appearance on the medical drama St. Elsewhere. Casting the role of Denise, who was intended to be the Huxtable's family's eldest child at the time, was a relatively quick process. Bonet first auditioned for the show's directors, followed by its producers, then finally Cosby himself and the network executives. Cosby immediately liked then-15 year-old Bonet because she had been wearing makeup on only one side of her face, already demonstrating some of the quirky qualities Cosby had envisioned for the character. Impressed by the young actress' strong sense of self, producer Marcy Carsey said Bonet wore braces, a "real kid" hairstyle, and "off-center" clothing to her audition, which were very similar to what the creators had always envisioned for Denise. They described Bonet as a young woman who refuses to be anything but herself based on the actress' natural line delivery, which Cosby found refreshing compared to the "stagey" acting most child auditionees relied on. According to People, Denise "didn't fit into any mold, a role that seemed made for Lisa Bonet".{{Cite web |date=June 26, 2000 |title=The Cosby Show: 1984–1992 |url=http://people.com/archive/the-cosby-show-1984-1992-vol-53-no-25/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222174835/http://people.com/archive/the-cosby-show-1984-1992-vol-53-no-25/ |archive-date=February 22, 2023 |access-date=February 15, 2018 |website=People |quote=Her first three seasons on Cosby—and one on the spinoff A Different World—were basically trouble-free. But then Bonet embarked on a kind of anti-Huxtable tear.}}

The role had originally been offered to Whitney Houston, but she turned it down because the five-year contract would have interfered with her aspiring singing career.{{Cite news |last=Abraham |first=Mya |date=December 21, 2022 |title=Here's Why Whitney Houston Turned Down The Role Of Denise Huxtable On 'The Cosby Show' |url=https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/whitney-houston-denise-huxtable-a-different-world-reunion-1234721126/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515205918/https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/whitney-houston-denise-huxtable-a-different-world-reunion-1234721126/ |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |access-date=June 7, 2024 |work=Vibe}}{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Keenan |date=December 21, 2022 |title=Whitney Houston Turned Down Huxtable Role On 'The Cosby Show' To Sing |url=https://blackamericaweb.com/2022/12/21/whitney-houston-turned-down-cosby-show-role-to-sing/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226042655/https://blackamericaweb.com/2022/12/21/whitney-houston-turned-down-cosby-show-role-to-sing/ |archive-date=February 26, 2024 |access-date=June 7, 2024 |work=Black America Web}} The candidates were eventually narrowed down to three finalists for each child character, including Bonet for Denise, although she felt discouraged after overhearing one of her competitors say her braces will cost her the part.{{Cite news |last=Senger |first=Trustman |date=March 11, 1987 |title=Lisa Bonet, Like Wild |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/03/11/lisa-bonet-like-wild/15646e5f-a6c7-4805-98c2-2d68dd1fb4dc/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213133628/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/03/11/lisa-bonet-like-wild/15646e5f-a6c7-4805-98c2-2d68dd1fb4dc/ |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} After Bonet learned that she had in fact been chosen for the role from director Jay Sandrich, she met with Cosby one more time, who admitted to liking her braces. Once Bonet was cast, the writers began to incorporate some aspects of her personality into her character, although her own fashion sense and behavior is viewed as more "outlandish" than Denise's. Costume designer Sarah Lemire was granted a weekly budget of $3000 to outfit the show's characters, and frequently risks with Bonet's wardrobe in particular.{{Cite web |last=Luter |first=Cherise |date=May 20, 2014 |title=15 Times Denise Huxtable from 'The Cosby Show' Proved She Was A Fashion Icon |url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/25196-15-times-denise-huxtable-from-the-cosby-show-proved-she-was-a-fashion-icon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515232129/https://www.bustle.com/articles/25196-15-times-denise-huxtable-from-the-cosby-show-proved-she-was-a-fashion-icon |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=Bustle}} Lemire said she would have liked to have been "more outrageous with [Bonet's] hair and hats", but limited herself because she had little control over the actress' hair.{{Cite web |last=Heller |first=Karen |date=October 18, 1987 |title=Dressing The Huxtables Sarah Lemire Is The Costumer For "The Cosby Show," And Not Just Any Clothes Suit This Tv Family |url=http://articles.philly.com/1987-10-18/living/26215039_1_cosby-show-huxtable-family-clothing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725180509/http://articles.philly.com/1987-10-18/living/26215039_1_cosby-show-huxtable-family-clothing |archive-date=July 25, 2016 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer}} Praising Bonet's own taste in clothes, Lemire likened costuming her to "dressing myself if I was 20 years younger". Bonet often selected her character's outfits herself with little input from the wardrobe department.

Denise was Bonet's first major television role. Being of mixed ethnicity, her character's upbringing "as a teen-ager in a well-adjusted, upper-middle-class black family" is remarkably different from how Bonet grew up, which took some time for the actress to adjust to; she never knew her father and was raised by her mother in a lower-middle-class, mostly white neighborhood. However, Bonet credits her role on The Cosby Show with "helping resolve her own identity crisis". Bonet described the show's environment in 1987 as "the perfect family, where you go to work, you get tired of them and you go home",{{Cite web |last=Frazier |first=Tony |date=March 13, 1987 |title=Cosby Kid' Not Concerned About Her Image |url=http://newsok.com/article/2179004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216005738/http://newsok.com/article/2179004 |archive-date=February 16, 2015 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=NewsOK}} and at the time likened working alongside Cosby to "learning from a master", from whom she often sought both professional and personal advice.{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Ronald L. |author-link=Ronald L. Smith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJGHQpfyYYIC&q=bonet&pg=PA175 |title=Cosby |publisher=SP Books |year=1993 |isbn=9781561712052 |location=India |pages=189, 209 |via=Google Books}} Actress Phylicia Rashad, who portrays Bonet's on-screen mother Clair, described Bonet as "one of the best young actresses today ... She is phenomenal for someone of her years".

Bonet had a tense working relationship with both Cosby and the show's producers throughout most of her time on the series.{{Cite magazine |last=Robinson |first=Joanna |date=August 26, 2015 |title=The Curious Silence of Cosby's TV Daughters |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/08/bill-cosby-lisa-bonet-tv-daughters-huxtables |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208183030/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/08/bill-cosby-lisa-bonet-tv-daughters-huxtables |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}{{Cite web |last=McDonald |first=Soraya Nadia |author-link=Soraya Nadia McDonald |date=January 2, 2018 |title=Can 'grown-ish' avoid the chaste, safe reality of 'A Different World'? |url=https://andscape.com/features/abc-grown-ish-yara-shahidi-avoid-the-chaste-safe-reality-of-a-different-world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925204720/https://andscape.com/features/abc-grown-ish-yara-shahidi-avoid-the-chaste-safe-reality-of-a-different-world/ |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=January 26, 2018 |website=Andscape |quote=A Different World began as a show primarily about the sweet-natured, poofy-haired bohemian of the Huxtable clan, but she quickly was upstaged by the tart-mouthed Whitley (Jasmine Guy).}} Although the co-stars are reported to have gotten along during The Cosby Show's first three seasons, their dispute first became public in 1987.{{Cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Stacia L. |date=July 9, 2015 |title=15 Times Bill Cosby Was a Huge Hypocrite |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/lists/15-times-bill-cosby-was-a-huge-hypocrite-20150709/tough-love-20150709 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032216/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/lists/15-times-bill-cosby-was-a-huge-hypocrite-20150709/tough-love-20150709 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |magazine=Rolling Stone |quote=The 1987 film Angel Heart marked the first public clash between Cosby Show actress Lisa Bonet and her onscreen dad.}} According to Kara Kovalchik of Mental Floss, Bonet's alleged unprofessionalism and argumentativeness aggravated Cosby, reportedly being consistently late or absent from tapings.{{Cite news |last=Haring |first=Bruce |date=March 10, 2018 |title=Lisa Bonet Speaks Out About Her TV Father, Bill Cosby – Claims "Sinister, Shadow Energy" |url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/lisa-bonet-speaks-out-about-her-tv-father-bill-cosby-claims-sinister-shadow-energy-1202332025/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607195746/https://deadline.com/2018/03/lisa-bonet-speaks-out-about-her-tv-father-bill-cosby-claims-sinister-shadow-energy-1202332025/ |archive-date=June 7, 2024 |access-date=June 7, 2024 |work=Deadline Hollywood}} Bonet had first expressed interest in pursuing more dramatic roles midway through the show's first season, intending to leave the series after only two years.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1987_482541/bonet-s-in-a-different-world.html|title=Bonet's in 'A Different World'|last=Hodges|first=Ann|date=August 16, 1987|website=Houston Chronicle|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020071005/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1987_482541/bonet-s-in-a-different-world.html|archive-date=October 20, 2012|access-date=August 16, 2017}} Aged 19 at the time, she decided to make her film debut as Epiphany Proudfoot in the controversial horror film Angel Heart (1987),{{Cite news |last=Norment |first=Lynn |author-link=Lynn Norment |date=December 1987 |title=Lisa Bonet – The Growing Pains of a Rising Star |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uswDAAAAMBAJ&q=the+cosby+show+denise+huxtable&pg=PA150 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607135220/https://books.google.ca/books?id=uswDAAAAMBAJ&q=the+cosby+show+denise+huxtable&pg=PA150&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=the%20cosby%20show%20denise%20huxtable&f=false |archive-date=June 7, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |work=Ebony |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |pages=152–156 |via=Google Books}} a role that required Bonet to film a sex scene with actor Mickey Rourke. By this time, Denise had already become the show's most popular character, while Bonet's fame increased when the film was initially assigned an X rating for its graphic content.{{Cite web |last=Valle |first=Victor |date=February 26, 1987 |title=Bonet's 'Angel' Heartache |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-02-26-ca-5858-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311031158/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-02-26/entertainment/ca-5858_1_angel-heart |archive-date=March 11, 2017 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |url-status=live |website=Los Angeles Times}} Although her role shocked several of The Cosby Show fans and Cosby himself, Cosby claims he did not mind Bonet's decision to appear in the film, maintaining that they have a strong friendship and would have objected had he felt otherwise. Bonet confirmed that she sought Cosby's advice when she was offered the role because she trusted him to see her potential beyond the sitcom. Despite granting her his approval, Cosby refused to see the film. The show's producers and NBC executives declined to comment on Bonet's decision, citing "what Bonet did off the Cosby set was her business".

File:Bill Cosby 1965.JPG, resulted in the creation of her own spin-off series, A Different World.|alt=Black and white headshot of a middle-aged African American man with a half-smile donning business attire while looking off to the side of the image.]]

Tensions between Bonet and Cosby worsened when the actress posed nude for Interview and Rolling Stone magazines to promote Angel Heart.{{Cite book |last=McCann |first=Bob |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7ZYsnTPIhwC&q=the+cosby+show+denise+huxtable&pg=PA49 |title=Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television |publisher=McFarland |year=2009 |isbn=9780786458042 |location=United States |pages=49–51 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225181412/https://books.google.com/books?id=X7ZYsnTPIhwC&pg=PA49#v=onepage&q=the%20cosby%20show%20denise%20huxtable |archive-date=February 25, 2020 |via=Google Books}} Bonet insisted that she was not trying to harm Denise's reputation by posing nude, but rather "felt obligated to my career and my (freedom of) artistic choice". After learning about the photograph's negative press, Cosby purchased a copy of Interview for himself, and released a statement defending the photographs while complimenting Bonet's talent and maturity in spite of her young age. The media continued to circulate Bonet's photographs heavily, which is reported to have fueled a highly publicized dispute between the actress and Cosby towards the end of the 1980s. Cosby expressed concern over how the photographs would affect The Cosby Show{{'s}} younger audience and Bonet's younger cast mates. Although producers feared the scandal would tarnish "the squeaky-clean Huxtable image",{{Cite web |last=Kovalchik |first=Kara |date=September 12, 2011 |title=10 Actors' Dramatic Departures from Popular Shows |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/28735/10-actors-dramatic-departures-popular-shows |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302040706/http://mentalfloss.com/article/28735/10-actors-dramatic-departures-popular-shows |archive-date=March 2, 2024 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |website=Mental Floss}} Cosby decided to provide Bonet with her own television series, a spin-off of The Cosby Show called A Different World. The network agreed that Bonet was ready to lead her own show, a revelation by which she was surprised.

A Different World originally followed an entirely different premise and main character, intending to star Meg Ryan as Maggie Lauten – a white student attending a historically black college. Marisa Tomei replaced Ryan when the latter left the project to focus on her film career.{{Cite web |last=Kovalchik |first=Kara |date=January 7, 2016 |title=14 Facts About A Different World |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/62212/14-things-you-might-not-know-about-different-world |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321003855/http://mentalfloss.com/article/62212/14-things-you-might-not-know-about-different-world |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=Mental Floss}} Maggie was re-written into the supporting role of one of Denise's roommates, while the plot was revised to focus on Bonet's character as she adjusts to college and living away from home for the first time. The only Cosby Show cast member to receive their own spin-off, the media speculated that A Different World was developed into a star vehicle for Bonet because she frequently protested Cosby's family-oriented direction for The Cosby Show; Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club agreed that the spin-off was revised as a means of removing Bonet from The Cosby Show "in a way that would bruise fewer egos".{{Cite web |last=St. James |first=Emily |author-link=Emily St. James |date=January 14, 2013 |title=A Different World was the last black sitcom to be a hit—but why? |url=https://www.avclub.com/a-different-world-was-the-last-black-sitcom-to-be-a-hit-1798235602 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314144748/https://tv.avclub.com/a-different-world-was-the-last-black-sitcom-to-be-a-hit-1798235602 |archive-date=March 14, 2021 |access-date=July 27, 2019 |website=The A.V. Club}} Additionally, casting Bonet in A Different World allowed "viewers to explore the new environment through the eyes of a familiar character".{{Cite web |last=Alston |first=Joshua |date=March 16, 2015 |title=10 episodes of A Different World that redeemed the topical sitcom |url=https://www.avclub.com/10-episodes-of-a-different-world-that-redeemed-the-topi-1798277661 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427192016/https://tv.avclub.com/10-episodes-of-a-different-world-that-redeemed-the-topi-1798277661 |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |access-date=August 1, 2017 |url-status=live |website=The A.V. Club}}

Bonet relocated from New York, where The Cosby Show was taped, back to her hometown of San Francisco, California to film A Different World. A Different World{{'s}} pilot revolves around Denise as she struggles to pay her dormitory fees while meeting her new roommates, Jaleesa Vinson (Dawnn Lewis) and Maggie, respectively.{{Cite web |last=Terry |first=Clifford |date=September 24, 1987 |title='Tour Of Duty' May Be Short For Wrong Reason |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/09/24/tour-of-duty-may-be-short-for-wrong-reason/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024231122/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-09-24/features/8703120402_1_zeke-anderson-tour-cosby-show |archive-date=October 24, 2015 |access-date=July 30, 2017 |url-status=live |website=Chicago Tribune}} In addition to a diverse group of friends,{{Cite web |last=Hope |first=Clover |date=April 7, 2015 |title=An Appreciation: What I Learned Re-Watching A Different World |url=http://themuse.jezebel.com/an-appreciation-what-i-learned-re-watching-a-different-1694612376 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213195154/http://themuse.jezebel.com/an-appreciation-what-i-learned-re-watching-a-different-1694612376 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2017 |website=Jezebel}} Denise would also meet and be influenced by new friends and teachers "with different perspectives on life", allowing the character to "grow in profound and interesting ways". The majority of the first season revolves around Denise, the show's lead character at the time, struggling to maintain her grades. However, Bonet had a fraught working relationship with season-one executive producer Anne Beats,{{Cite news |last=Cruz |first=Sherri |date=December 20, 2013 |title=SNL pro helps students write humor |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2013/12/20/snl-pro-helps-students-write-humor/ |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617202648/https://www.ocregister.com/2013/12/20/snl-pro-helps-students-write-humor/ |archive-date=June 17, 2021 |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=The Orange County Register}} to the point where Cosby had threatened to fire Bonet lest she correct her behavior, although Beats ultimately departed instead.{{Cite news |last=Seymour |first=Gene |date=March 31, 1988 |title=A Dim 'World' Star Lisa Bonet needs polishing |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news-a-different-worl/140551293/ |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=Philadelphia Daily News |via=Newspapers.com}}

While appearing on A Different World, Bonet married musician Lenny Kravitz in 1988, and soon became pregnant with their child. Fearing how Cosby would react to an on-set pregnancy, Bonet first confided in producer Debbie Allen, who suggested that they approach Cosby about the pregnancy together.{{Cite web |last=Weekes |first=Princess |date=March 9, 2018 |title=Bill Cosby's Treatment of Lisa Bonet Should Have Been an Early Sign of His Behavior |url=https://www.themarysue.com/bill-cosbys-lisa-bonet/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226203841/https://www.themarysue.com/bill-cosbys-lisa-bonet/ |archive-date=February 26, 2024 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |website=The Mary Sue}} Allen suggested that Bonet's pregnancy be written into the series,{{Cite web |last=Abramson |first=Stephen J. |date=April 15, 2011 |title=Debbie Allen |url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/debbie-allen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204021559/https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/debbie-allen |archive-date=December 4, 2023 |access-date=July 30, 2017 |website=Archive of American Television}}{{Cite web |last=Kimble |first=Julian |date=May 23, 2017 |title=Lisa Bonet's May 1988 cover of 'Rolling Stone' is timeless in its confident rebellion |url=https://andscape.com/features/lisa-bonet-may-1988-cover-rolling-stone/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114132903/https://andscape.com/features/lisa-bonet-may-1988-cover-rolling-stone/ |archive-date=January 14, 2023 |access-date=August 4, 2017 |website=Andscape |quote=Lisa Bonet could be pregnant, but not 'Denise Huxtable.'}} explaining that it would provide an opportunity to show an upper-class woman having a child while choosing to remain unmarried. Cosby and some of the show's other producers did not want to explore teen pregnancy via A Different World{{'s}} main character, fearing it would send the wrong message.{{Cite web |date=July 30, 2014 |title=9 Surprising facts you may not know about the show "A Different World" |url=http://naturallymoi.com/2014/07/9-surprising-facts-you-may-not-know-about-the-show-a-different-world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124184947/http://naturallymoi.com/2014/07/9-surprising-facts-you-may-not-know-about-the-show-a-different-world/ |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=Naturally Moi}} Cosby in particular was strongly opposed to the idea of a seemingly wholesome Huxtable child experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and becoming an unwed mother. Allen was reportedly upset with Cosby over his decision but understood Denise's pregnancy would alter his vision for both series. Meanwhile, producer Susan Fales claims Bonet had wanted to return to The Cosby Show regardless, and felt Denise's pregnancy would have posed challenges such as how would she have fun in college while pregnant, and by whom she had gotten pregnant.{{Cite news |last=Hatem |first=Susan Lambert |last2=Johnson |first2=Sharon |date=2024 |title=Episode 235: “A Different World {{!}} Showrunner, Writer Susan Fales-Hill” |url=https://www.80stvladies.com/episode/episode-235-a-different-world-showrunner-writer-susan-fales-hill |access-date=February 20, 2025 |work=80s TV Ladies}}

Bonet was fired from A Different World before its second season aired; Cosby reinstated her into The Cosby Show{{'s}} fifth season, while A Different World underwent several changes to adjust to her departure. At first, Cosby struggled with how to approach Denise's return, but ultimately decided to borrow some real-life inspiration from his own daughter Erinn, who had also dropped out of college "to find herself".{{Cite web |last=Axelrod |first=Josh |date=June 4, 2014 |title=CM's Top 25 Fictional College Students |url=https://www.collegemagazine.com/cms-25-favorite-fictional-college-students/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803094800/https://www.collegemagazine.com/cms-25-favorite-fictional-college-students/ |archive-date=August 3, 2017 |access-date=August 2, 2017 |website=College Magazine}} They reworked Denise's storyline to reflect children remaining loved by their parents despite disappointing them sometimes. Erinn had attended Spelman College, the historically black institution upon which Hillman is based.{{Cite web |last=Allison |date=July 26, 2015 |title=Spelman College No Longer Wants To Be Associated With Bill Cosby |url=http://dlisted.com/2015/07/26/spelman-college-no-longer-wants-to-be-associated-with-bill-cosby/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130061635/http://dlisted.com/2015/07/26/spelman-college-no-longer-wants-to-be-associated-with-bill-cosby/ |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2017 |website=Dlisted}} The episode where Denise returns home premiered on October 6, 1988.{{Cite web |last=Haithman |first=Diane |date=October 6, 1988 |title=Different Touch to 'Different World' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-06-ca-4490-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307041325/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-10-06/entertainment/ca-4490_1_cosby-show |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |access-date=August 6, 2017 |website=Los Angeles Times |pages=1–2 |url-status=live |quote=... viewers were more enthusiastic about the character of self-styled Southern belle Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) than they ever were about Bonet ...}} Since Cosby did not want to add an infant character to the series, the show concealed Bonet's pregnancy using loose-fitting clothing, large coats, furniture, and grocery bags. To allow Bonet time to have her baby,{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s7sDAAAAMBAJ&q=Denise%3A+The+Saga+Continues&pg=PA60|title=Lisa Bonet Returns to 'The Cosby Show' with TV Husband and Child Prodigy|date=September 25, 1989|work=Jet|access-date=August 4, 2017|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|pages=60–62|issn=0021-5996|via=Google Books}} her character was written out of the series for a year by having Denise announce she has dropped out of Hillman to pursue a job opportunity as a wildlife photographer's assistant in Africa (after having briefly attempted to become a fashion designer or record producer). Denise was demoted from main to recurring character for the remainder of the season.

Despite NBC producers alluding to the possibility of Bonet returning to A Different World permanently post-pregnancy,{{Cite news |last=Carmody |first=John |date=July 1, 1988 |title=The TV Column |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/07/01/the-tv-column/863df519-f8e2-40ec-aa1a-fb46d7c8e724/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806221737/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/07/01/the-tv-column/863df519-f8e2-40ec-aa1a-fb46d7c8e724/ |archive-date=August 6, 2017 |access-date=July 30, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Bonet would only make one final appearance on the spin-off, a cameo during its third season,{{Cite web |date=October 20, 2016 |title=11 TV Characters Who Vanished Into Thin Air |url=http://www.metv.com/lists/11-tv-characters-who-vanished-into-thin-air |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208161411/http://www.metv.com/lists/11-tv-characters-who-vanished-into-thin-air |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=MeTV |quote=... [Denise's] disappearance still rattled the show's core fans.}} by which time the series had shifted focus to other characters. Allen created an entirely new character, Freddie Brooks (Cree Summer), to replace Bonet as the show's "earthy, bohemian" character.{{Cite book |last=Smith-Shomade |first=Beretta E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EV0jAQAAQBAJ&q=bonet |title=Watching While Black: Centering the Television of Black Audiences |publisher=Rutgers University Press |year=2013 |isbn=9780813553887 |location=United States |pages=39 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612145200/https://books.google.com/books?id=EV0jAQAAQBAJ&q=bonet |archive-date=June 12, 2024 |via=Google Books}} In the wake of Bonet's departure, Tomei was also fired and her character written out, despite Allen's original intentions to retain "the dynamic of having a white girl in a black college". Jasmine Guy, who played schoolmate Whitley Gilbert, said she threatened to quit A Different World during its first season because she felt Bonet had been mistreated by producers.{{Cite news |last=Wenger |first=Stephanie |date=December 16, 2022 |title=Jasmine Guy Tried to Quit 'A Different World' in Season 1 After Lisa Bonet and Sinbad Were 'Disrespected' |url=https://people.com/tv/jasmine-guy-tried-to-quit-a-different-world-after-lisa-bonet-sinbad-were-disrespected/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225002323/https://people.com/tv/jasmine-guy-tried-to-quit-a-different-world-after-lisa-bonet-sinbad-were-disrespected/ |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=People}} Guy also claims Bonet hired additional security because she felt unsafe on-set.{{Cite news |last=Jordan |first=Atiya |date=September 23, 2022 |title=Jasmine Guy Calls Out 'A Different World' Season 1 Producers for Mistreating Lisa Bonet |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/jasmine-guy-kadeem-hardison-talk-about-lisa-bonets-mistreatment-on-a-different-world-set/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304161307/https://www.blackenterprise.com/jasmine-guy-kadeem-hardison-talk-about-lisa-bonets-mistreatment-on-a-different-world-set/ |archive-date=March 4, 2024 |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=Black Enterprise}} Although A Different World would remain a spin-off of The Cosby Show, Denise's absence severed connections between the two shows apart from the fact that Hillman is her father's alma mater.{{Cite book |last=Tueth |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MBRvw2pvjFoC&q=denise+huxtable&pg=PA169 |title=Laughter in the Living Room: Television Comedy and the American Home Audience |publisher=Peter Lang |year=2005 |isbn=9780820468457 |location=Switzerland |pages=169 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610190948/https://books.google.com/books?id=MBRvw2pvjFoC&q=denise+huxtable&pg=PA169 |archive-date=June 10, 2024 |via=Google Books}}

File:Erika Alexander.jpg, who was introduced as the Huxtable family's distant cousin Pam Tucker, as her "replacement".|alt=Photograph of a young African-American woman looking attentive; her long, black hair is pulled back into a low ponytail and she is wearing a sleeveless white top.]]

Having spent the majority of season five away on maternity leave,{{Cite web |last=Erickson |first=Hal |author-link=Hal Erickson (author) |title=The Cosby Show: Season 06 (1989) |url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-cosby-show-season-06-v323498 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812143558/http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-cosby-show-season-06-v323498 |archive-date=August 12, 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |website=AllMovie}} Bonet resumed her role on The Cosby Show full-time upon after giving birth to daughter Zoë Kravitz; Denise returns home after secretly marrying Lt. Martin Kendall (Joseph C. Phillips), a Naval officer she meets in Africa, becoming stepmother to his three-year-old daughter, Olivia (Raven-Symoné).{{Cite web |title=Denise: The Saga Continues – The Cosby Show Season 8 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_cosby_show/s06/e01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610192655/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_cosby_show/s06/e01 |archive-date=June 10, 2024 |access-date=November 17, 2019 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}} Philips had guest starred in an early episode of The Cosby Show as one of Sondra's love interests before he was recast as Denise's husband.{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/spenceralthouse/21-fun-facts-you-didnt-know-about-the-cosby-show|title=21 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About "The Cosby Show"|last=Althouse|first=Spencer|date=September 10, 2013|website=BuzzFeed|access-date=July 27, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/09/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-cosby-show/|title=15 Things You Didn't Know About "The Cosby Show"|last=Hoyte|first=Nikeita|date=September 20, 2014|website=Complex|access-date=July 27, 2017}} The sixth season premiere "Denise: The Saga Continues", in which Denise returns home to Brooklyn unannounced and introduces her parents to her new family, established the sitcom's season premieres as episodes in which a Huxtable child would share surprising news with their parents. Bonet would continue to appear on the show regularly over the next several episodes until Cosby fired her altogether at the end of season seven, citing "creative differences".{{Cite web |last=Day |first=Patrick Kevin |date=April 27, 2011 |title=TV Land Awards 2011: Best and Worst |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2011/04/tv-land-awards-2011-best-and-worst.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727171121/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2011/04/tv-land-awards-2011-best-and-worst.html |archive-date=July 27, 2018 |access-date=July 29, 2017 |website=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite web |last=Sanghani |first=Radhika |author-link=Radhika Sanghani |date=June 6, 2017 |title=Where are the female stars of The Cosby Show now – and do they support Bill? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/female-stars-cosby-show-now-do-support-bill/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515210902/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/female-stars-cosby-show-now-do-support-bill/ |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |access-date=March 6, 2018 |website=The Daily Telegraph}} The season's 24th episode "Cliff and Jake", which aired on April 11, 1991, marks Bonet's final appearance on the show. Cosby claims that he fired Bonet because The Cosby Show{{'s}} material was no longer challenging for her, blaming himself for her character lacking development and maturity. However, he commended Bonet's acting talent. Cosby then decided to divide Bonet's screen time among new young actors "on the show who are working hard, studying so heard and really deserve a shot during what will be our final year."{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=37sDAAAAMBAJ&q=bill+cosby+lisa+bonet+jet&pg=PA52|title=Lisa Bonet Dropped From 'The Cosby Show'|date=April 15, 1991|work=Jet|access-date=August 4, 2017|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|page=52|issn=0021-5996|via=Google Books}} Introduced during the show's later seasons, Pam Tucker (Erika Alexander), a cousin of the Huxtable family, is considered to be a "replacement" for Denise; StyleBlazer believes that Pam was created because the sitcom "needed another character to play a free-spirited problem child."{{Cite web |date=April 13, 2012 |title=7 Replaced Classic TV Characters We Never Got Over (Aunt Viv, Brenda Walsh, & More!) |url=http://styleblazer.com/44065/7-replaced-classic-tv-characters-we-never-got-over-aunt-viv-brenda-walsh-more/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523053448/http://styleblazer.com/44065/7-replaced-classic-tv-characters-we-never-got-over-aunt-viv-brenda-walsh-more/ |archive-date=May 23, 2017 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |website=StyleBlazer}}{{Cite web |date=June 2011 |title=The Cosby Show: Where are they now? – Erika Alexander – Pam Tucker |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/cosby-show-gallery-1.91634?pmSlide=1.93630 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802051452/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/cosby-show-gallery-1.91634?pmSlide=1.93630 |archive-date=August 2, 2017 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |website=New York Daily News}}

Bonet developed a reputation for being difficult to work with on The Cosby Show. Although nearly every main and recurring character who played a significant role on the series returned for The Cosby Show{{'s}} finale "And So We Commence", which revolves around Denise's younger brother Theo graduating from New York University, Bonet was not invited back to make a final appearance on the show after having been fired the previous year.{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tMwDAAAAMBAJ&q=denise&pg=PA126|title=Backstage at the Last Cosby Show|date=May 1992|work=Ebony|access-date=July 28, 2017|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|pages=126–130|issn=0012-9011|via=Google Books}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/actors-who-were-fired-while-filming.html/?a=viewall|title=12 Actors Who Were Fired From Hit TV Shows|last=Yovino|first=Kirsten|date=June 25, 2017|website=The Cheat Sheet|access-date=July 28, 2017|archive-date=September 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928112200/http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/actors-who-were-fired-while-filming.html/?a=viewall|url-status=dead}} Her character is, however, mentioned and used sparingly throughout the episode. Unseen, Denise calls her family on the telephone from Singapore to announce that she is pregnant with her and Martin's first child,{{Cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/1992/05/01/cosby-show-comes-end/|title=The Cosby Show comes to an end|last=Schwarzbaum|first=Lisa|date=May 1, 1992|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=July 28, 2017}} and everyone receives an opportunity to congratulate her except Cliff.{{Cite web|url=https://www.courant.com/1992/04/30/cosby-show-broke-stereotypes-showed-strength-of-family/|title='Cosby Show' Broke Stereotypes, Showed Strength Of Family|last=Endrst|first=James|date=April 30, 1992|website=Hartford Courant|access-date=August 4, 2017|archive-date=August 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805024212/http://articles.courant.com/1992-04-30/news/0000202576_1_cosby-show-clair-huxtable-huxtable-family|url-status=live}} Bonet appeared on The Cosby Show on and off from 1984 to 1987, and from 1989 to 1991,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_beJCgAAQBAJ&q=denise+huxtable+pam+tucker&pg=PA321|title=Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948–2004|last=Hyatt|first=Wesley|publisher=McFarland|year=2006|isbn=9780786423293|location=United States|pages=321|via=Google Books}} for a grand total of 98 episodes between the ages of 17 and 24.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-cosby-show/cast/100456/|title=The Cosby Show – Cast|website=TV Guide|access-date=July 28, 2017}} She is credited as a main cast member from seasons one to three and six to seven, and a recurring cast member during seasons four and five.

According to PopCrunch, Bonet's feud with Cosby "has become just as legendary as the show" itself.{{Cite web|url=http://www.popcrunch.com/lisa-bonet-cosby-show-reunion-snub/|title=Lisa Bonet Snubs TV Land "Cosby Show" Reunion|last=Castina|date=April 12, 2011|website=PopCrunch|access-date=July 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729173104/http://www.popcrunch.com/lisa-bonet-cosby-show-reunion-snub/|archive-date=July 29, 2017|url-status=dead}} Bonet has famously continued to avoid attending Cosby Show-related reunions and specials in the years since the show has ended. When Bonet declined to attend The Cosby Show: A Look Back,{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/tv/reviews/the-cosby-show-a-look-back-1200549687/|title=Review: 'The Cosby Show: A Look Back'|last=Speier|first=Michael|website=Variety|date=May 16, 2002|access-date=August 1, 2017}} a retrospective television special hosted by NBC in 2002, she explained, "The whole experience and energy behind it felt disingenuous and motivated by corporate profit. I felt devalued and disrespected."{{Cite web |last=Braxton |first=Greg |date=April 11, 2011 |title=Cast of 'The Cosby Show' minus Lisa Bonet reunites at TV Land Awards |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/04/cast-of-the-cosby-show-minus-lisa-bonet-reunites-at-tv-land-awards.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510044217/https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/show-tracker/story/2011-04-11/cast-of-the-cosby-show-minus-lisa-bonet-reunites-at-tv-land-awards |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |access-date=July 29, 2017 |website=Los Angeles Times}} When the Cosby Show cast was honored with the Impact Award at the 2011 TV Land Awards,{{Cite web|url=https://hellobeautiful.com/1774045/cosby-show-tv-land-awards/|title="The Cosby Show" Cast Reunites At TV Land Awards|date=2011|website=HelloBeautiful|access-date=July 29, 2017}} Bonet was noticeably absent, citing "scheduling conflicts" as the official reason for her nonattendance. Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who portrays Bonet's on-screen brother Theo, said "Lisa has always danced to the beat of her own drummer, which has worked for and against her"; Warner recalled being "surprised" when Bonet once attended a smaller-scale reunion that featured him and on-screen sisters Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa) and Keshia Knight Pulliam (Rudy) for Nickelodeon's Favorite Huxtable Contest.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/kecks-exclusives-tvland-awards-1031689/|title=Keck's Exclusives: Who's In and Who's Out at the TV Land Awards Reunions|last=Keck|first=William|date=April 11, 2011|website=TV Guide|access-date=July 29, 2017}} However, he admitted he admires Bonet for following her passion.{{Cite web|url=http://people.com/archive/leaving-the-nest-vol-37-no-17/|title=Leaving the Nest|last=Allis|first=Tim|date=May 4, 1992|website=People|access-date=August 2, 2017}} Bonet and Tomei, both of whom were fired during the first season of A Different World, have remained close friends.

In 2018, Bonet, who has had little to no comment about the sexual assault allegations made by several women against Cosby, revealed that she had always felt a "type of sinister, shadow energy [that] cannot be concealed" during her time working with Cosby.{{Cite web|url=http://people.com/tv/cosby-show-alum-lisa-bonet-says-her-on-screen-father-bill-cosby-had-a-sinister-shadow-energy/|title=Cosby Show Alum Lisa Bonet Says Her On-Screen Father Bill Cosby Had a 'Sinister, Shadow Energy'|last=Stone|first=Natalie|date=March 9, 2018|website=People|access-date=March 21, 2018}} She maintains that her memories of her experience on the show have not been influenced by the allegations, insisting, "No, it's exactly as I remember it".{{Cite web|url=https://www.net-a-porter.com/gb/en/porter/article-33a55e73f6c7ac7b/cover-stories/cover-stories/lisa-bonet?cm_mmc=LinkshareUK-_-TnL5HPStwNw-_-Twitter-_-Magazine-_-20180309&siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-I7e_rfvO9ni1Csr6IiWfpw&Skimlinks.com=Skimlinks.com&siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-Svo0D591XSWjOiKIXlpwqw&Skimlinks.com=Skimlinks.com|title=Lisa Bonet on Family, Husband Jason Mamoa & Working With Bill Cosby|date=March 9, 2018|website=Porter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414035822/https://www.net-a-porter.com/gb/en/porter/article-33a55e73f6c7ac7b/cover-stories/cover-stories/lisa-bonet?cm_mmc%3DLinkshareUK%2D_%2DTnL5HPStwNw%2D_%2DTwitter%2D_%2DMagazine%2D_%2D20180309%26siteID%3DTnL5HPStwNw%2DI7e_rfvO9ni1Csr6IiWfpw%26Skimlinks.com%3DSkimlinks.com%26siteID%3DTnL5HPStwNw%2DSvo0D591XSWjOiKIXlpwqw%26Skimlinks.com%3DSkimlinks.com|archive-date=2018-04-14|url-status=dead|access-date=March 21, 2018}}

According to Eudie Pak of Biography, Denise was first introduced "as the popular girl with ever-changing hair and fashion".{{Cite web |last=Pak |first=Eudie |date=April 30, 2012 |title=The Cosby Show Cast: Where Are They Now? |url=https://www.biography.com/news/the-cosby-show-cast-where-are-they-now-20814793 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513121618/http://www.biography.com/news/the-cosby-show-cast-where-are-they-now-20814793 |archive-date=May 13, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=Biography}} Martin Gitlin, author of The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time, described the character as "Stunningly attractive ... independent, intelligent, and proud."{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QWQYAgAAQBAJ&q=denise+huxtable+photographer%27s+assistant&pg=PA94|title=The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time|last=Gitlin|first=Martin|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2013|isbn=9780810887251|location=United States|pages=94|via=Google Books}} Denise eventually became known as "the wild child"{{Cite magazine |last=King |first=Eric |date=September 28, 2017 |title=A Different World: Where Are They Now? |url=http://ew.com/tv/a-different-world-where-are-they-now/lisa-bonet-denise-huxtable |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711041045/http://ew.com/tv/a-different-world-where-are-they-now/lisa-bonet-denise-huxtable/ |archive-date=July 11, 2018 |access-date=November 18, 2017 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} of the Huxtable family as a result of her rebellious nature,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/2011/01/muslim_cosby_show_fantasy_casting|title=The Muslim Cosby Show: Fantasy Casting|last=Johnson|first=Megan|date=January 2, 2011|website=Boston Herald|access-date=July 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729222244/http://www.bostonherald.com/2011/01/muslim_cosby_show_fantasy_casting|archive-date=July 29, 2017|url-status=dead}} outspokenness,{{Cite web|url=https://www.backstage.com/interview/lisa-bonet/|title=Lisa Bonet|last=Talley|first=Lori|date=January 28, 2003|website=Backstage|access-date=July 1, 2017}} eccentric clothing and tendency to date boys her father does not approve of. Josh Axelrod of College Magazine dubbed Denise "Cliff Huxtable's most frustrating child", standing apart from her siblings due to her inherent flightiness and restlessness. As "the most mellow Huxtable kid with a slightly boho style", the character also dresses in a manner that is distinguished from the moderate way in which her siblings dress.{{Cite web|url=https://blackgirlnerds.com/denise-huxtable-my-muse/|title=Denise Huxtable: My Muse|last=Broadnax|first=Jamie|date=August 27, 2013|website=Black Girl Nerds|access-date=July 28, 2017|archive-date=July 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728203313/https://blackgirlnerds.com/denise-huxtable-my-muse/|url-status=dead}} Denise's style has been described as bohemian and boho-chic.{{Cite web |last=Elias |first=Sophia |date=August 12, 2014 |title=17 TV Moms We Would Totally Borrow Clothes From |url=http://hellogiggles.com/17-tv-moms-borrow-clothes/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728160242/http://hellogiggles.com/17-tv-moms-borrow-clothes/ |archive-date=July 28, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=HelloGiggles}}{{Cite news |last=Lezmi |first=Josh |date=January 16, 2024 |title=The 7+ Most Stylish TV Show Characters of All Time — Fictional Fashion Icons |url=https://thoughtcatalog.com/josh-lezmi/2023/09/the-7-most-stylish-tv-show-characters-of-all-time-fictional-fashion-icons/ |access-date=June 18, 2024 |work=Thought Catalog}} Developing a reputation as "a stylish dresser", the character frequently makes bold fashion statements, particularly via her vast assortment of hats and accessories, and variety of hair styles.{{Cite web|url=http://www.vogue.com/article/lisa-bonet-beauty-hair-and-makeup-moments|title=#TBT: The Enduring Influence of Lisa Bonet|last=Horner|first=Olivia|date=September 25, 2014|website=Vogue|access-date=July 27, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.whowhatwear.com/currently-channeling-denise-huxtable/|title=Currently Channeling: Denise Huxtable|date=February 27, 2007|website=Who What Wear|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728201919/http://www.whowhatwear.com/currently-channeling-denise-huxtable/|archive-date=July 28, 2017|access-date=July 28, 2017}} Kamille Cooper, contributing to Vibe, described the character's wardrobe as "synonymous with 90's trends and groovy 70's-inspired prints–even more so perpetuated by her carefree persona", identifying "her ability to mix prints and patterns effortlessly to embellished adornments on fedoras and blazers".{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Kamille |date=January 29, 2013 |title=Denise Huxtable-Inspired Ensembles for the Bohemian Chic |url=https://www.vibe.com/2013/01/denise-huxtable-inspired-ensembles-for-the-bohemian-chic/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126212633/https://www.vibe.com/2013/01/denise-huxtable-inspired-ensembles-for-the-bohemian-chic/ |archive-date=November 26, 2021 |access-date=September 13, 2018 |website=Vibe}} Denise typically wears oversized smocks, harem pants, jumpsuits, large blazers and head wraps with vibrant patterns,{{Cite web |last=Bourne |first=Lea |date=2014 |title=The 50 Most Stylish TV Characters Of All Time: A Ranked Guide |url=http://stylecaster.com/the-most-stylish-tv-characters-of-all-time/slide44 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728133800/http://stylecaster.com/the-most-stylish-tv-characters-of-all-time/slide44 |archive-date=July 28, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=StyleCaster}} as well as denim and vintage tops.{{Cite web |last=Aschenbrand-Robinson |first=Rachel |date=August 13, 2017 |title=6 Movie and TV Characters That Are Back-to-School Style Icons |url=https://www.brit.co/6-college-style-fashion-icons/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006041332/https://www.brit.co/6-college-style-fashion-icons/ |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |website=Brit + Co}} Glamour contributor Tracey Lomrantz Lester wrote that, in addition to fitted vests, the character dons "some of the most memorable headwear I've ever seen on TV."{{Cite web |last=Lester |first=Tracey Lomrantz |date=September 26, 2008 |title=Meet The 9 Best Dressed TV Characters Of All Time |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/meet-the-9-best-dressed-tv-cha |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128223640/https://www.glamour.com/story/meet-the-9-best-dressed-tv-cha |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=Glamour}} Alison Feldmann, writing for The Etsy Blog, described Denise as "fearless when it came to her appearance and could get away with seemingly anything".{{Cite web|url=https://blog.etsy.com/en/get-the-look-denise-huxtable/|title=Get the Look: Denise Huxtable|last=Feldmann|first=Alison|date=May 25, 2010|website=The Etsy Blog|access-date=July 29, 2017}} Refinery29 contributor Fara Prince agreed that Denise "got away with wearing the craziest outfits and changed her hairstyle constantly, all while maintaining that relaxed, cool-girl vibe."{{Cite web|url=http://www.refinery29.com/best-90s-beauty-looks-tv-characters#slide-1|title=The Best Beauty Looks From Your Fave '90s Characters|last=Prince|first=Farah|date=August 25, 2014|website=Refinery29|access-date=July 31, 2017}} Brit + Co writer Rachel Aschenbrand-Robinson believes that the character's choice of clothing gave viewers the impression "that she actually gave no f**ks what anyone thought of her look."

College Fashion cited the character's interest in experimenting with geometric patterns, bright colors and a variety of textures. Bustle{{'s}} Cherise Luter believes that Denise's wardrobe "expressed [her] inner rebel." Jamie Broadnax of Black Girl Nerds identified Denise as a hipster, writing that the character was "a hipster before the word hipster was even a thing" due to her unconventional clothing choices and tendency to avoid imitating others, as well as her own method of doing things that she incorporates into the way she dresses. Denise's sense of fashion is also reflected in her hair; the character experiments with various hairstyles throughout The Cosby Show{{'s}} run, ranging from "androgynous short hair to natural curls [and] waist-length dreads."{{Cite web |last=Valenti |first=Lauren |date=May 10, 2017 |title=15 Female TV Characters That Have Incredible Hair, Ranked |url=http://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/g4672/tv-characters-best-hair/?slide=10&thumbnails= |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=Marie Claire}} In later seasons, the character "exhibited more of a hippy-chick free spirit" closer to the way in which Bonet dresses outside of The Cosby Show. Denise's sense of fashion endures during her enrollment at Hillman. Andrea Linett, author of I Want to Be Her!: How Friends & Strangers Helped Shape My Style, described the character's wardrobe as "drapey and Japanese-y and so perfectly '80s", which she believes only improves once she transitions from The Cosby Show to A Different World.{{Cite book |last1=Linett |first1=Andrea |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PrbAl78Y3i0C&q=Denise+Huxtable&pg=PT42 |title=I Want to Be Her!: How Friends & Strangers Helped Shape My Style |last2=Albert |first2=Anne Johnston |publisher=Abrams |year=2012 |isbn=9781613123881 |location=United States |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618145250/https://books.google.com/books?id=PrbAl78Y3i0C&q=Denise+Huxtable&pg=PT42 |archive-date=June 18, 2024 |via=Google Books}} On the spin-off, Denise often gravitates towards menswear, high-waisted pants,{{Cite web |last=Byrd |first=Rikki |date=March 29, 2015 |title=Lisa Bonet's Best Style Moments Before Leaving 'It's A Different World' |url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/72729-lisa-bonets-best-style-moments-before-leaving-its-a-different-world |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302013249/https://www.bustle.com/articles/72729-lisa-bonets-best-style-moments-before-leaving-its-a-different-world |archive-date=March 2, 2024 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=Bustle}} and vintage clothing. Richard Pfefferman, author of Strategic Reinvention in Popular Culture: The Encore Impulse, described Denise as "Young, hip, trendy and colorful".{{Cite book |last=Pfefferman |first=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PQ-xAgAAQBAJ&q=Denise+Huxtable&pg=PA14 |title=Strategic Reinvention in Popular Culture: The Encore Impulse |publisher=Springer Publishing |year=2013 |isbn=9781137373199 |location=United States |pages=14–15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610154933/https://books.google.com/books?id=PQ-xAgAAQBAJ&q=Denise+Huxtable&pg=PA14 |archive-date=June 10, 2024 |via=Google Books}} Pfeifferman continued to describe the character as a "fun-loving, fashion-conscious, light-hearted teenage girl" who was "perfectly poised for gradual transformation into a serious and more thoughtful adult" on A Different World. Tara Ariano, author of Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love to Hate (and Hate to Love) about TV, wrote that Denise embodies "the height of sophisticated teenager-hood" due to her "inexhaustible supply" of jewelry, blouses and leggings.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cm28udLiQlkC&q=the+cosby+show+denise+huxtable&pg=PA62|title=Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love to Hate (and Hate to Love) about TV|last1=Ariano|first1=Tara|last2=Bunting|first2=Sarah D.|publisher=Quirk Books|year=2006|isbn=9781594741173|location=United States|pages=76–77|via=Google Books}} According to Bonet, her character showed audiences "that it's okay to be a freak".{{Cite news |last=Late |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Tate |date=July 2000 |title=Babe in the Woods |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SSgEAAAAMBAJ&q=Denise+Huxtable&pg=PA154 |access-date=August 17, 2017 |work=Vibe |publisher=Vibe Media Group |page=154 |via=Google Books |issn=1070-4701 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} However, Racked's Nadra Nittle argued that Denise remains rather "straight-laced" despite her artsy, unconventional wardrobe consisting of high-waisted trousers and tropical shirts.{{Cite web |last=Nittle |first=Nadra |date=January 24, 2018 |title='Grown-ish' Quietly Champions Modest Dressing |url=https://www.racked.com/2018/1/24/16928380/yara-shahidi-grown-ish-clothes-costumes-modest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818051510/https://www.racked.com/2018/1/24/16928380/yara-shahidi-grown-ish-clothes-costumes-modest |archive-date=August 18, 2022 |access-date=January 26, 2018 |website=Racked}}

Denise has been identified as a "drifter". Author Mark Whitaker wrote in his book Cosby: His Life and Times that the character resembles a "laconic mixture of sweetness and sarcasm that captured the ironic detachment that was becoming a hallmark of Generation X." Each Huxtable child "represents a different aspect on life."{{Cite web|url=http://www.amestrib.com/sections/entertainment/tv/on-tv-%E2%80%98the-cosby-show%E2%80%99-tackled-race-and-class-the-1980s.html|title=On TV: 'The Cosby Show' tackled race and class in the 1980s|date=October 19, 2013|website=Ames Tribune|access-date=July 30, 2017|archive-date=July 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731032416/http://www.amestrib.com/sections/entertainment/tv/on-tv-%E2%80%98the-cosby-show%E2%80%99-tackled-race-and-class-the-1980s.html|url-status=dead}} As a rebel who has been described as the Huxtable's "most troublesome child",{{Cite book |last=Terrace |first=Vincent |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YX_daEhlnbsC&q=denise+huxtable+photographer%27s+assistant&pg=PA211 |title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. |publisher=McFarland |year=2012 |isbn=9780786486410 |location=United States |pages=211 |via=Google Books}} Denise was often depicted as the opposite of Sondra, struggling to perform well academically unlike her older sister; Denise receives five Ds, one C and seven incompletes during her time at Hillman. While Sondra successfully graduates from Princeton University, Denise drops out of Hillman, travels to Africa and marries a Navy lieutenant instead, representing "that children don't always grow up how parents expect", according to the Ames Tribune. Clover Hope of Jezebel agreed that the character "is determined to be independent—with no discipline or follow-through—and doesn't want her parents, Cliff and Clair Huxtable, to pay her way through college." Denise also stands apart from her college friends by being a "quirky, naive, indecisive flower child." Mike Vago of The A.V. Club observed that the Huxtable home begins to suffer from "Full Nest Syndrome" once Denise returns home from Africa, married and with a step child.{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/sinister-hands-and-full-nests-14-types-of-family-dysfu-1798285906|title=Sinister hands and full nests: 14 types of family dysfunction|last1=Adams|first1=Eric|last2=Chappell|first2=Les|date=October 19, 2015|website=The A.V. Club|access-date=July 30, 2017|last3=Johnson|first3=Kevin|last4=Perkins|first4=Dennis|last5=Robinson|first5=Tasha|last6=Vago|first6=Mike}} Writing for the same publication, Joshua Alston believes that Bonet's real-life "earth-mother persona was integrated into the character, and became a riff on what rich-kid rebellion might look like for a wealthy black family." Denise has been nicknamed the Huxtable's "prodigal daughter" by the media.

Denise was quickly established as an audience favorite during the show's earliest seasons,{{Cite web |title=Lisa Bonet – Biography |url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/lisa-bonet-57301725/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129090119/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/lisa-bonet-57301725/#biography |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=Hollywood.com}}{{Cite news |last=Koutsky |first=Judy |date=January 30, 2024 |title=‘A Different World’ Cast: Where Are They Now? |url=https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/tv-shows/a-different-world-cast |access-date=February 19, 2025 |work=Woman's World}} which Mental Floss writer Kara Kovalchik attributed to her "typical teenage carefree attitude and her cutting-edge fashion sense". Denise ultimately became the show's most popular character, with her unique fashion sense becoming a trademark of the series. Essence and Abby White of the Nashville Scene agreed that the character's clothes immediately captured fans.{{Cite web|url=http://www.essence.com/galleries/tvs-best-dressed-characters|title=TV's Best-Dressed Characters|date=October 2, 2008|website=Essence|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728120933/http://www.essence.com/galleries/tvs-best-dressed-characters#4977|archive-date=July 28, 2017|access-date=July 28, 2017}}{{Cite web |last=White |first=Abby |date=August 20, 2012 |title=Style BFF: Denise Huxtable |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/arts-culture/article/13044493/style-bff-denise-huxtable |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914203802/https://www.nashvillescene.com/arts-culture/article/13044493/style-bff-denise-huxtable |archive-date=September 14, 2018 |access-date=September 14, 2018 |website=Nashville Scene}} White also joked that being one of Denise's three less popular sisters "must have really sucked". Entertainment critic Ken Tucker said "the clever contrast between Bonet's sloe eyed sexiness and her teenybopper sense of humor ... made her the standout member of Bill Cosby's clan".{{Cite news |last=Tucker |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Tucker |date=September 24, 1987 |title=Contrasts in life as a student: Two shows make debuts tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-a-different-wo/140611696/ |access-date=February 19, 2025 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |via=Newspapers.com}} Beloved by fans until her departure,{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Kasey |date=August 6, 2018 |title=Lisa Bonet and the Hypocrisy of Bill Cosby |url=https://starsandcelebs.com/2018/08/lisa-bonet/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418052205/https://starsandcelebs.com/2018/08/lisa-bonet/ |archive-date=April 18, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2019 |website=Stars and Celebs |url-status=usurped |quote=Popular and a bit of a wild card, Denise was beloved by the masses until Bonet's untimely firing from the show.}} Bonet became a "media darling", by whom she was nicknamed "America's Sweetheart".{{Cite web |last=Sanchez |first=Karizza |date=May 2015 |title=Bound for Glory |url=http://www.complex.com/covers/zoe-kravitz-interview-2015-cover-story/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306022513/http://www.complex.com/covers/zoe-kravitz-interview-2015-cover-story/ |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=July 27, 2015 |website=Complex}}{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Daisy |date=November 14, 2017 |title=Jason Momoa Knew He Loved Lisa Bonet When He Was Just 8-Years-Old |url=https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/news/a39945/jason-momoa-knew-he-loved-lisa-bonet-since-he-was-eight/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128100347/https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/news/a39945/jason-momoa-knew-he-loved-lisa-bonet-since-he-was-eight/ |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |website=Elle}}{{Cite web |last=Kemp |first=Rob |date=July 11, 2014 |title=Jason Momoa on His Directorial Debut and What Khal Drogo Would Have Done to the Mountain |url=http://www.vulture.com/2014/06/jason-momoa-road-to-paloma-chat.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201020238/http://www.vulture.com/2014/06/jason-momoa-road-to-paloma-chat.html |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |website=Vulture.com}} Idolized by teenage boys, she received the most fan mail out of the show's cast. Adored by millions of fans, Bonet's popularity grew almost overnight, soon establishing her as the show's breakout star and a household name.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VjfqDAAAQBAJ&q=doesn%27t+offer+my+appetite+anything+cosby&pg=PA71|title=Envisioning Black Feminist Voodoo Aesthetics: African Spirituality in American Cinema|last=Martin|first=Kameelah L.|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2016|isbn=9781498523295|location=United States|pages=71}} Fans swarmed the actress in public, often approaching her for fashion advice. Karen Heller of The Philadelphia Inquirer dubbed Bonet their "sartorial role model". Girls were drawn towards her bohemian sense of fashion, while boys found her to be very attractive.{{Cite web |last=Boyd |first=John |date=December 21, 2017 |title=Then & Now: '80s sexiest pinups, heartthrobs and crushes we still can't get enough of |url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/celebrities/article/Then-Now-80s-sexiest-pinups-heartthrobs-and-10813508.php#photo-7905017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324160404/https://www.chron.com/entertainment/celebrities/article/Then-Now-80s-sexiest-pinups-heartthrobs-and-10813508.php#photo-7905017\ |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |access-date=May 18, 2018 |website=Houston Chronicle}} According to Hollywood.com, Bonet "struck a chord" among The Cosby Show fans with "her ethereal beauty and quiet strength". Vibe{{'s}} Greg Tate believes Bonet's performance "won the heart of just about every young black woman who didn't fit the mold of debutante, fly girl or hoochie mama". Hillary Crosley Coker of Jezebel described Bonet as "the coolest of The Cosby Show cast",{{Cite web |last=Crosley Coker |first=Hillary |date=January 8, 2015 |title=Lisa Bonet: The Cosby Show Kid Who Got Away |url=http://themuse.jezebel.com/lisa-bonet-the-cosby-show-kid-who-got-away-1677783623 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230729114240/https://jezebel.com/lisa-bonet-the-cosby-show-kid-who-got-away-1677783623 |archive-date=July 29, 2023 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |website=Jezebel}} while Refinery29{{'s}} Kara Kia believes Bonet and Denise were equally "admired for [their] rebellious, elusive approach to celebrity".{{Cite web |last=Kia |first=Kara |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Why We're Still Obsessed With This '90s Style Icon |url=https://www.refinery29.uk/lisa-bonet-personal-style-90s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722131221/https://www.refinery29.uk/lisa-bonet-personal-style-90s |archive-date=July 22, 2018 |access-date=September 14, 2018 |website=Refinery29 |quote=As one of the most popular young actresses of the '90s}} In "An Ode To Lisa Bonet As Denise Huxtable", Uproxx contributor Greg Whitt praised the actress: "I loved how you were never willing to mute your personality in a house full of squares. Your hair was short and untamed. Your outfits never matched but always worked ... You were sexy before I knew what sexy was. Vanessa was too annoying, and Rudy was too young, but, Denise ahem Lisa, you were the one".{{Cite web |last=Whitt |first=Greg |date=October 25, 2013 |title=An Ode To Lisa Bonet As Denise Huxtable, In Words + Photos |url=http://uproxx.com/smokingsection/denise-huxtable-lisa-bonet-photo/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302185918/http://uproxx.com/smokingsection/denise-huxtable-lisa-bonet-photo/ |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |access-date=July 27, 2017 |website=Uproxx}}

Julee Wilson of HuffPost described the character as "head-strong yet lovable".{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Julee |date=November 16, 2015 |title=Lisa Bonet's Style Evolution: Badass Boho Chic Since The '80s |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/lisa-bonet-style-evolution_us_56493a60e4b08cda348970b7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022073439/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/lisa-bonet-style-evolution_us_56493a60e4b08cda348970b7 |archive-date=October 22, 2018 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=HuffPost}} Rebekah Williams, writing for Her Campus, called Denise "charming".{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Rebekah |date=May 16, 2012 |title=Fashion Icons Today: Denise Huxtable |url=https://www.hercampus.com/school/northwestern/fashion-icons-today-denise-huxtable |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118155540/https://www.hercampus.com/school/northwestern/fashion-icons-today-denise-huxtable |archive-date=January 18, 2022 |access-date=August 17, 2017 |website=Her Campus}} In a retrospective review of the series, Funny or Die dubbed Denise "your Tumblr crush", writing, "Girls wanted to be her. Boys wanted to be with her. Boys also probably wanted to be her".{{Cite web|url=http://www.funnyordie.com/articles/4ec4b8456d/an-unnecessary-tribute-to-the-cosby-show|title=Unnecessary Tribute: 13 Ways The Cosby Show is Even Better Now Than It Was Back Then|date=2016|website=Funny or Die|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728124211/http://www.funnyordie.com/articles/4ec4b8456d/an-unnecessary-tribute-to-the-cosby-show|archive-date=July 28, 2017|access-date=July 28, 2017}} Writing for The Atlantic, Joe Reid ranked Denise the best Huxtable child, praising Bonet's performance and describing Denise as "equal parts cool and disaster, without ever selling out either part".{{Cite web |last1=Reid |first1=Joe |last2=O'Keefe |first2=Kevin |date=September 23, 2014 |title=Celebrating 30 Years of 'The Cosby Show' by Debating Four Key 'Cosby' Questions |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2014/09/celebrating-30-years-of-the-cosby-show-by-debating-four-key-cosby-questions/380668/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206185207/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2014/09/celebrating-30-years-of-the-cosby-show-by-debating-four-key-cosby-questions/380668/ |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |access-date=July 28, 2015 |website=The Atlantic}} Writing for the same publication, Kevin O'Keefe ranked Denise fifth because he struggled to "understand her motivations", finding her relationship with straight man Martin unconvincing due to her free-spirited nature. However, O'Keefe admitted that he enjoyed her role in the episode "A Shirt Story". The episode is often positively reviewed as one of the character's best,{{Cite web |last=Blay |first=Zeba |date=January 6, 2016 |title=I Re-Watched 'The Cosby Show' And It Was Brutal |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/rewatching-the-cosby-show-is-brutal_us_568abf1ee4b014efe0db1eb6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816090244/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rewatching-the-cosby-show-is-brutal_n_568abf1ee4b014efe0db1eb6 |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=HuffPost}} while writer Aisha Harris declared it the show's best episode.{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Aisha |author-link=Aisha Harris |date=November 29, 2023 |title=Gateway Episodes: The Cosby Show |url=https://slate.com/culture/2013/11/the-cosby-show-best-episode-is-a-shirt-story-with-gordon-gartrell-design-for-theo-video.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205013745/https://slate.com/culture/2013/11/the-cosby-show-best-episode-is-a-shirt-story-with-gordon-gartrell-design-for-theo-video.html |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |access-date=June 13, 2024 |work=Slate}} Bonet's performance throughout the series received critical acclaim.{{Cite news |title=Lisa Bonet |url=https://people.com/tag/lisa-bonet/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223142232/https://people.com/tag/lisa-bonet/ |archive-date=February 23, 2024 |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=People |quote=She rose to fame for playing Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992, for which she received critical acclaim}}{{Cite web |date=November 16, 2023 |title=Happy Birthday, Lisa Bonet! Her Life In Film |url=https://www.bet.com/article/fq6vhq/happy-birthday-lisa-bonet-her-life-in-film |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515233011/https://www.bet.com/article/fq6vhq/happy-birthday-lisa-bonet-her-life-in-film |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=BET |quote=Her portrayal of the free-spirited and fashion-forward daughter of Cliff and Clair Huxtable earned her critical acclaim}}{{Cite news |last=Espy-Jones |first=India |date=November 17, 2023 |title=40 Of Lisa Bonet's Most Iconic Beauty Looks |url=https://www.essence.com/gallery/40-lisa-bonet-iconic-birthday-beauty/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205024445/https://www.essence.com/gallery/40-lisa-bonet-iconic-birthday-beauty/ |archive-date=February 5, 2024 |access-date=June 17, 2024 |work=Essence |quote=She earned acclaim for her rebellious role}} Writer Kaitlyn Greenidge said her "ability to play dreamy and comedic at the same time, was a presence that hadn’t been seen before in American media, certainly not in the workshopped-to-death milieu of network sitcoms".{{Cite news |last=Greenidge |first=Kaitlyn |author-link=Kaitlyn Greenidge |date=October 17, 2024 |title=A Different World, 31 Years Later, Still Has Something to Say |url=https://www.blackstarfest.org/seen/read/issue-007/a-different-world/ |access-date=February 12, 2025 |work=BlackStar}} Bonet was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1986.{{Cite web |last=Margulies |first=Lee |date=July 31, 1986 |title='Moonlighting' Tops Emmy Race With 16 Nominations |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-31-mn-20384-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613184816/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-31/news/mn-20384_1_cosby-show |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |url-status=live |website=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite web |last=Ramisetti |first=Kirthana |date=August 25, 2014 |title=Emmys 2014: From Anna Nicole Smith's breasts to Lassie, the 10 oddest nominations of all time |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/10-oddest-emmy-nominations-time-article-1.1913644 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820152756/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/10-oddest-emmy-nominations-time-article-1.1913644 |archive-date=August 20, 2023 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=New York Daily News}}

Bonet's controversial role in Angel Heart was met with strong backlash from devoted Cosby Show fans, some of whom felt that she had betrayed Denise's "wholesome" image. Some media headlines, such as USA Today{{'s}} "X has Cosby kid's film on spot", gave readers the impression that "all 77 million weekly watchers are outraged by the behavior of their little Denise", according to Trustman Senger of The Washington Post. The fact that Bonet, a Cosby Show cast member, had been cast in a sex scene with co-star Mickey Rorke garnered far more media coverage than whether or not the film deserved the X rating it had been assigned. Maintaining that he had never seen an episode of The Cosby Show prior to casting Bonet, Angel Heart director Alan Parker admitted he was unprepared for the public's reaction, elaborating, "I was naive not to realize ... what she represented within that show was maybe a role model for young black American kids." When the film was released, an overwhelming number of The Cosby Show fans asked Bonet to reveal what Cosby thought of her performance. Cosby eventually said that he was not particularly fond of Bonet's role in the film, which he dismissed as "a movie made by white America that cast a black girl, gave her voodoo things to do and have sex". Envisioning Black Feminist Voodoo Aesthetics: African Spirituality in American Cinema author Kameelah L. Martin believes that Cosby's avoidance of the film only augmented the controversy surrounding Bonet's role. Victor Valle of the Los Angeles Times wondered if the sex scene would harm Bonet's "wholesome TV image" on both The Cosby Show and the then-upcoming A Different World. Maintaining that she had been unaware of Denise's wholesome reputation prior to appearing in Angel Heart, Bonet insisted "My obligation wasn't to Denise. I felt obligated to myself and my career."{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7VUI706jS2gC&q=It%27s+a+movie+made+by+white+America+that+cast+a+black+girl%2C+gave+her+voodoo+things+to+do+and+have+sex.%22&pg=PA156|title=Post-Soul Nation: The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant, and Tragic 1980s as Experienced by African Americans (Previously Known as Blacks and Before That Negroes)|last=George|first=Nelson|publisher=Penguin|year=2005|isbn=9781440649189|location=United Kingdom|pages=156|via=Google Books}}

Bonet was one of the decade's most popular actresses, and A Different World initially attempted to capitalize on her fame by highlighting Denise.{{Cite web |last=Luckie |first=Mark S. |date=October 26, 2015 |title=I Went To A Black College Because Of "A Different World" |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/marksluckie/i-went-to-an-hbcu-because-of-a-different-world |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809075818/https://www.buzzfeed.com/marksluckie/i-went-to-an-hbcu-because-of-a-different-world |archive-date=August 9, 2016 |access-date=August 7, 2017 |website=BuzzFeed News}} Although the spin-off received high ratings, critics were largely unimpressed by its first season, many of whom blamed Denise's personality and Bonet's performance for the show's poor reviews.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NUXIAgAAQBAJ&q=a+different+world+lisa+bonet+review&pg=PA703|title=Encyclopedia of Television|publisher=Routledge|year=2014|isbn=9781135194727|editor-last=Newcomb|editor-first=Horace|location=United Kingdom|pages=702–704|editor-last2=Kay|editor-first2=Lambdin|via=Google Books}} Journalist Mark Harris said "Bonet proved hollow as the center of a sitcom",{{Cite magazine |last=Harris |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Harris (journalist) |date=April 12, 1991 |title=The evolution of 'A Different World' |url=http://ew.com/article/1991/04/12/evolution-different-world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215221230/http://ew.com/article/1991/04/12/evolution-different-world/ |archive-date=February 15, 2022 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} and Ed Siegel of The Boston Globe felt the show hid her talent.{{Cite news |last=Siegel |first=Ed |date=September 24, 1987 |title=A Different World / Tour of Duty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/438822242/ |access-date=February 13, 2025 |work=The Boston Globe |via=Newspapers.com}} Television critic Jeff Jarvis accused NBC of diluting The Cosby Show by removing Bonet, "only so she could star in a watery, bland series". Jarvis continued, "I only hope NBC has the sense to forgive Bonet and welcome her home, where she's always been terrific, on Cosby".{{Cite web |last=Jarvis |first=Jeff |author-link=Jeff Jarvis |date=September 28, 2017 |title=Picks and Pans Review: A Different World |url=http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-a-different-world-vol-28-no-13/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521091126/http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-a-different-world-vol-28-no-13/ |archive-date=May 21, 2022 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=People}} The Chicago Tribune{{'s}} Clifford Terry and the Toronto Star's Jim Bawden were among several critics who agreed Bonet was not compelling enough to carry an entire series,{{Cite news |last=Bawden |first=Jim |date=October 1, 1987 |title=Cosby kid aging like fine whine |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/948628992/?clipping_id=140611823&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjk0ODYyODk5MiwiaWF0IjoxNzM5NDY1ODI5LCJleHAiOjE3Mzk1NTIyMjl9.YHoVQq-35a8pnSEJIimiamU7teiCQuBpIzn3EqMze1A&terms=bonet&match=1 |access-date=February 13, 2025 |work=Toronto Star |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Larson |first=Lenny |date=September 24, 1987 |title=CBS will try waging ‘war’ against ‘Cosby’ |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee-a-different-world-tour/140611591/ |access-date=February 19, 2025 |work=The Fresno Bee |via=Newspaper.com}} with the latter questioning why she had been granted her own show over who he described as her more talented Cosby Show castmates. Similarly, Robin Oliver of The Sydney Morning Herald felt Bonet had not done enough comedy on The Cosby Show to warrant her own sitcom, but understood she "is liable to attract a certain voyeuristic following".{{Cite news |last=Oliver |first=Robin |date=February 22, 1998 |title=A Different World |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-a-different-wo/140548816/ |access-date=February 13, 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |via=Newspapers.com}} Journalist Emily St. James agreed that the actress "wasn't yet ready to carry a show", blaming her "sleepy demeanor and subdued line readings" for encouraging audiences to gravitate towards more interesting supporting characters. Emily Nussbaum, television critic for The New York Times, reviewed Denise as "so diffident she seemed barely there",{{Cite web |last=Nussbaum |first=Emily |author-link=Emily Nussbaum |date=September 21, 2003 |title=Television: Reruns; Did 'Cosby' Do Better in College? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/21/arts/television-reruns-did-cosby-do-better-in-college.html |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914205347/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/21/arts/television-reruns-did-cosby-do-better-in-college.html |archive-date=September 14, 2018 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=The New York Times}} and Scott Weinberg of DVD Talk said Bonet's acting discouraged him from completing the first season.{{Cite news |last=Weinberg |first=Scott |date=November 15, 2005 |title=Different World - Season 1, A |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/18736/different-world-season-1-a/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213185922/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/18736/different-world-season-1-a/ |archive-date=February 13, 2025 |access-date=February 13, 2025 |work=DVD Talk}} Gene Seymour of the Philadelphia Daily News said that while the character was captivating on The Cosby Show, she was a boring college student compared to her friends, suggesting that Bonet watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show "for pointers on how to be a strong, vital center for a comedy ensemble". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Weiskind found her less interesting than her co-stars Dawnn Lewis or Marisa Tomei.{{Cite news |last=Weiskind |first=Ron |date=September 24, 1987 |title=A Different World / Tour of Duty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-a-different-worl/140611637/ |access-date=February 19, 2025 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |via=Newspapers.com}}

Some reviewers were more sympathetic. Jeneé Osterheldt of The Kansas City Star appreciated A Different World for not depicting Denise as star pupil.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/jenee-osterheldt/article192858169.html|title=It's been 25 years since TV showed black students we believe in. Thanks, 'grown-ish'|last=Osterheldt|first=Jeneé|date=January 3, 2018|website=The Kansas City Star|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104055659/http://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/jenee-osterheldt/article192858169.html|archive-date=2018-01-04|access-date=January 27, 2018}} Television critic Marvin Kitman credited Bonet with making the show work, saying she approaches her performance with "deceptively different style of comedy" from traditional comediennes, despite the limitations of her role.{{Cite news |last=Kitman |first=Marvin |author-link=Marvin Kitman |date=October 8, 1987 |title=A 'Different' Sort of Spin-Off From 'Cosby' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/704778009/ |access-date=February 13, 2025 |work=Newsday |via=Newspapers.com}} Bill Kelley of the South Florida Sun Sentinel said the actress "gamely does her best" despite the show's flaws "and remains as appealing as she is on Cosby".{{Cite news |last=Kelley |first=Bill |date=September 24, 1987 |title='Different World' merely rides on Cosby coattails |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-florida-sun-sentinel-a-different-w/140611738/ |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=South Florida Sun Sentinel |via=Newspapers.com}} Tucker said Bonet "makes the show bearable" by portraying "herself as an idealized portrait of '80s college youth". Writer and executive producer Susan Fales defended Bonet's acting: "the character was far more at fault [than Bonet]. Denise was not very interesting, and we were asked to make her into Mary Tyler Moore or Tinkerbell, always bringing everyone together. We couldn't."

Critics and audiences found that the character was constantly being upstaged by Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy). After Bonet's departure, Whitley replaced Denise as A Different World{{'s}} main character, and the series underwent significant revisions to refocus on her and other supporting characters. Although the producers expected viewers to miss Denise, critics conceded that Whitley offered better television. Linda Hobbs of Vibe reported that A Different World{{'s}} "success only grew after Bonet left".{{Cite news |last=Hobbs |first=Linda |date=February 2008 |title=Higher Learning |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kCYEAAAAMBAJ&q=denise+huxtable+college+dropout&pg=PA111 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 29, 2017 |work=Vibe |publisher=Vibe Media Group |via=Google Books |issn=1070-4701}} However, some fans lamented Denise's absence. AfterEllen contributor Dana Piccoli found it difficult to enjoy A Different World's subsequent seasons without Bonet.{{Cite web |last1=Bendix |first1=Trish |last2=Piccoli |first2=Dana |date=May 2, 2014 |title=The AfterEllen.com Huddle: When your favorite character leaves |url=http://www.afterellen.com/tv/216574-the-afterellen-com-huddle-when-your-favorite-character-leaves |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124060854/http://www.afterellen.com/tv/216574-the-afterellen-com-huddle-when-your-favorite-character-leaves |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=AfterEllen}} Recognizing Denise's characterization on A Different World among 752 Things We Love to Hate (and Hate to Love) about TV, author Tara Ariano said young female fans were generally unbothered by Bonet's tendency to "deliver her lines either in a monotone or screechy whine" while "looking at Denise with the eyes of love". Erin Faith Wilson of AfterEllen called A Different World one of her favorite shows because of Denise, praising her clothes, intelligence, and perception that "she didn't put up with shit from anyone ... At the time, she seemed to scream feminism and I couldn't get enough".{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Erin Faith |date=September 21, 2015 |title=All-American girls lesbians crushed on in the '80s and early '90s |url=http://www.afterellen.com/tv/453725-american-girls-lesbians-crushed-80s-early-90s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125160458/http://www.afterellen.com/tv/453725-american-girls-lesbians-crushed-80s-early-90s |archive-date=November 25, 2020 |access-date=August 2, 2017 |website=AfterEllen}} Bustle{{'s}} Rikki Byrd wrote, "Although it was sad to see her go, the little bit of time she was on offered up enough style inspiration to last a decade". Although most viewers dismissed the show as an unsuccessful spin-off in the immediate wake of Bonet's departure, A Different World proved successful and would go on to air for five more seasons without Bonet.{{Cite web |last=Ryan |first=Mike |date=March 8, 2011 |title=A Brief History of Actors Kicked Off Their Television Shows |url=http://movieline.com/2011/03/08/a-brief-history-of-actors-being-fired-from-their-television-shows/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703022956/http://movieline.com/2011/03/08/a-brief-history-of-actors-being-fired-from-their-television-shows/ |archive-date=July 3, 2024 |access-date=July 31, 2017 |website=Movieline}} In a retrospective review of Denise's role on A Different World, Jezebel{{'s}} Clover Hope said "there's nothing that fascinating about Denise", who she described as "an atrocious student". However, Hope admitted that the character is popular due to her wardrobe and relatability.

Denise remains the acting role for which Bonet is best-known. In his biography of the actress, Michael Hastings of AllMovie said that after "assert[ing] herself as one of the most memorable kids in the Huxtable clan", Bonet has "enjoy[ed] a longevity that few former child stars can claim".{{Cite web |last=Hastings |first=Michael |title=Lisa Bonet – Biography by Michael Hastings |url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/lisa-bonet-p7255 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121173840/http://www.allmovie.com/artist/lisa-bonet-p7255 |archive-date=January 21, 2023 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |website=AllMovie}} According to Refinery29{{'s}} Kara Kia, she is just as admired for her own rebelliousness, elusiveness, and sense of style as Denise is. Bob McCann, author of Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television, believes an entire generation of African-American teenagers grew up infatuated with Denise. The Root{{'s}} Erin E. Evans summarized Denise as "the eccentric daughter whom every young Cosby fan either wanted to be like or be with".{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Erin E. |date=September 19, 2014 |title=The Cosby Show: Where Are They Now? |url=http://www.theroot.com/the-cosby-show-where-are-they-now-1790868420 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817155817/http://www.theroot.com/the-cosby-show-where-are-they-now-1790868420 |archive-date=August 17, 2022 |access-date=July 29, 2017 |website=The Root}} Denise's personal style was largely embraced by the public, and she is widely considered to be a style icon.{{Cite web |last=Bottinick |first=A. |date=February 10, 2017 |title=Fashion Face-Off: 'black-ishs Zoey Johnson vs. 'A Different Worlds Denise Huxtable |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/is-black-ishs-zoey-johnson-channeling-denise-huxtables-a-different-world-style/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215200548/https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/is-black-ishs-zoey-johnson-channeling-denise-huxtables-a-different-world-style/ |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |access-date=January 28, 2018 |website=TV Insider}}{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Elizabeth |date=October 12, 2015 |title=How to Wear '90s-Inspired Brown Lipstick—No Matter Your Skin Tone |url=https://www.allure.com/gallery/how-to-wear-brown-lipstick-trend |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207181443/https://www.allure.com/gallery/how-to-wear-brown-lipstick-trend |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |website=Allure}} The Guardian{{'s}} Danielle Henderson credits the character with introducing television audiences to boho-chic 30 years before it became a mainstream fashion trend.{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Danielle |author-link=Danielle Henderson (writer) |date=September 22, 2014 |title=The Cosby Show turns 30: why everyone loved the Huxtables |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2014/sep/22/cosby-show-turns-30-loved-the-huxtables |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129045250/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/shortcuts/2014/sep/22/cosby-show-turns-30-loved-the-huxtables |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=The Guardian}} Evans agreed that Denise was a trendsetter,{{Cite web|url=http://www.theroot.com/why-we-still-love-the-cosby-show-1790891166|title=Why We Still Love 'The Cosby Show'|last=Evans|first=Erin E.|date=April 26, 2017|website=The Root|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729004234/http://www.theroot.com/why-we-still-love-the-cosby-show-1790891166|archive-date=July 29, 2017|access-date=July 28, 2017}} and Kia named Denise's bohemian aesthetic one of the decade's defining looks. Vibe{{'s}} Kamille Cooper crowned the character "the epitome of the Bohemian Chic" and described her overall wardrobe as a "pop culture phenomenon", observing that women continue to emulate Denise's style decades after The Cosby Show ended. Dana Oliver of HuffPost said she "can't recall many teen girls who didn't try to copy Denise Huxtable's bohemian flair".{{Cite news |last=Oliver |first=Dana |date=September 25, 2014 |title='The Cosby Show' Cast Photos Prove They'll Always Be TV's Best-Dressed Family |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-cosby-show-cast-photos-fashion_n_5869328 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618185437/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-cosby-show-cast-photos-fashion_n_5869328 |archive-date=June 18, 2024 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |work=HuffPost}} In 2014, Bustle compared Denise's impact on fashion to Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City and the cast of Gossip Girl, with author Cherise Luter calling her clothes as appropriate for the present as they were for the 1980s. Agreeing that Denise is a precursor to Carrie Bradshaw and Cookie Lyon from Empire, Julee Wilson of HuffPost named her "one of our first TV style crushes", crediting the character with teaching fans how to layer and accessorize. Brit + Co dubbed Denise "the eclectic style queen of college". In her book I Want to Be Her!: How Friends & Strangers Helped Shape My Style, author Andrea Linett described Denise as "The first television character who really had style" and her main reason to watch The Cosby Show.

Several publications have ranked Denise among the best-dressed characters on television,{{Cite news |last=Rucker |first=Jael |date=September 22, 2022 |title=The 25 TV Characters With the Best Style, Ranked |url=https://www.one37pm.com/style/tv-characters-with-the-best-style |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219063421/https://www.one37pm.com/style/tv-characters-with-the-best-style |archive-date=February 19, 2023 |access-date=June 18, 2024 |work=ONE37pm}}{{Cite news |date=August 30, 2011 |title=Something in the Way She Dresses |url=https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/news-entertainment/a21759/something-in-the-way-she-dresses/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618190003/https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/news-entertainment/a21759/something-in-the-way-she-dresses/ |archive-date=June 18, 2024 |access-date=June 18, 2024 |work=The Pioneer Woman}} including Elle,{{Cite web|url=http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/g8649/best-dressed-tv-characters-ever/?slide=39&thumbnails=|title=The 50 Best Dressed Women on TV|last=Chernikoff|first=Leah|date=August 22, 2014|website=Elle|access-date=July 28, 2014}} Glamour, Essence, StyleCaster, Vibe,{{Cite news |last=Daniels |first=Sharifa |date=September 6, 2013 |title=The Most Stylish TV Characters of All Time |url=https://www.vibe.com/features/vixen/the-most-stylish-tv-characters-of-all-time-286425/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618190005/https://www.vibe.com/features/vixen/the-most-stylish-tv-characters-of-all-time-286425/ |archive-date=June 18, 2024 |access-date=June 18, 2024 |work=Vibe}} and Harper's Bazaar.{{Cite magazine |last=Kosin |first=Julie |date=September 25, 2014 |title=The 15 Most Iconic TV Wardrobes |url=http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g4217/best-tv-wardrobes/?slide=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240306072847/http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g4217/best-tv-wardrobes/?slide=4 |archive-date=March 6, 2024 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |magazine=Harper's Bazaar}}{{Cite magazine |last1=Kosin |first1=Julie |last2=Chilton |first2=Charlotte |date=January 15, 2021 |title=The 40 Most Iconic TV Wardrobes of All Time |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g4217/best-tv-wardrobes/?slide=10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618164133/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g4217/best-tv-wardrobes/?slide=10 |archive-date=June 18, 2024 |access-date=June 18, 2024 |magazine=Harper's Bazaar}} In 2017, the same magazine declared her one of the 50 most stylish fictional characters of all-time.{{Cite magazine |last=Fisher |first=Lauren Alexis |date=August 7, 2017 |title=The 52 Most Stylish Fictional Characters of All Time |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/g11438358/most-stylish-tv-film-characters/?slide=4 |access-date=June 18, 2024 |magazine=Harper's Bazaar}} HuffPost described Denise as the sixth most fashionable teenager across film and television, writing that "Everyone in the world still wants to be Denise".{{Cite news |last=Donahue |first=Anne T. |date=April 14, 2014 |title=The Most Fashionable Teenagers In Movies And TV Shows |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/the-most-fashionable-teenagers-in-movies-and-tv-shows_n_5675720 |access-date=January 20, 2024 |work=HuffPost}} BuzzFeed ranked Denise the most fashionable television character of the 1990s, describing her as "undisputed style icon of the '80s and '90s".{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Lauren |date=May 7, 2015 |title=25 '90s TV Characters Whose Style Was On Point |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurenpaul/stylish-tv-characters-every-90s-girl-idolized |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230706162615/https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurenpaul/stylish-tv-characters-every-90s-girl-idolized |archive-date=July 6, 2023 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=BuzzFeed}} Sophia Elias of HelloGiggles said she "may very well go down as one of the most stylish characters in television history". Entertainment Weekly said Denise had third most iconic television hairstyle,{{Cite magazine |last=Boardman |first=Madeline |date=March 23, 2016 |title=21 of the Most Iconic TV Hairstyles |url=https://ew.com/gallery/tv-famous-hairstyles/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619152112/https://ew.com/gallery/tv-famous-hairstyles/ |archive-date=June 19, 2024 |access-date=June 19, 2024 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} and Marie Claire included Denise at number six on their "15 Female TV Characters That Have Incredible Hair" ranking.{{Cite news |last=Valenti |first=Lauren |date=May 10, 2017 |title=15 Female TV Characters That Have Incredible Hair, Ranked |access-date= |work=Marie Claire}} HelloGiggles featured her among "The Best Beauty Looks From Your Fave '90s Characters", with author Farah Prince dubbing her the "one person from the '90s I wanted to emulate the most" while complimenting praising her sparse use of makeup. Refinery29 crowned Denise one of their "favorite '80s fashion heroes", calling her a constant source of "inspiration (and hairspiration)".{{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Connie |date=December 7, 2011 |title=Denise Vs. Clair: It's A Huxtable Fashion-Off! |url=http://www.refinery29.com/cosby-show-denise-clair-huxtable-fashion-face-off |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005050839/http://www.refinery29.com/cosby-show-denise-clair-huxtable-fashion-face-off |archive-date=October 5, 2017 |access-date=October 4, 2017 |website=Refinery29}} Glamour ranked Bonet among the best style icons of the decade, describing her as "he most beautiful and wholesome girl on TV" at the time.{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2018 |title=The best 80s style icons to inspire your own retrospective (yet very modern!) wardrobe |url=http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/80s-style-icons |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407012038/https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/80s-style-icons |archive-date=April 7, 2024 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |website=Glamour}}

Sherri Williams of The Washington Post described both Denise and Bonet as it-girls "of the 1980s whose unique style and independence endeared audiences",{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Sherri |date=January 10, 2017 |title=Woke politics and gender-fluid bathrooms: Why 'Grown-ish' isn't this generation's 'A Different World' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/01/10/woke-politics-and-gender-fluid-bathrooms-why-grown-ish-isnt-this-generations-a-different-world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622165137/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/01/10/woke-politics-and-gender-fluid-bathrooms-why-grown-ish-isnt-this-generations-a-different-world/ |archive-date=June 22, 2018 |access-date=January 26, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} and AfterEllen's Erin Faith Wilson called the character one of her favorite television crushes from the time period. According to Nick Slay of The Source, Denise established herself as a "pop culture icon".{{Cite web |last=Slay |first=Nick |date=January 4, 2018 |title=Yara Shahidi's 'Grownish' A Different World Than Lisa Bonet's Spin-Off |url=http://thesource.com/2018/01/04/yara-shahidis-grownish-different-world-lisa-bonets-spin-off/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205202200/http://thesource.com/2018/01/04/yara-shahidis-grownish-different-world-lisa-bonets-spin-off/ |archive-date=December 5, 2021 |access-date=June 22, 2018 |website=The Source}} Refinery29 and HelloGiggles ranked Denise highly on listicles about desirable television siblings.{{Cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Erin |date=January 4, 2015 |title=TV Sisters We Always Wanted In Our Family |url=http://www.refinery29.com/tv-sisters#slide-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729012055/http://www.refinery29.com/tv-sisters#slide-13 |archive-date=July 29, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=Refinery29}}{{Cite web |last=Vendetti |first=Tyler |date=August 22, 2014 |title=10 TV Characters Who Would Make Awesome Big Sisters |url=http://hellogiggles.com/10-tv-characters-make-awesome-big-sisters/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729003456/http://hellogiggles.com/10-tv-characters-make-awesome-big-sisters/ |archive-date=July 29, 2017 |access-date=July 28, 2017 |website=HelloGiggles}} According to The Washington Post, Denise provided the original blueprint for "How TV handles beloved characters going off to college", which Uproxx's Alan Sepinwall described as "Tak[ing] the most popular/exciting/funny character supporting character "and trust that they can carry a new show on their own".{{Cite web |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |date=January 3, 2018 |title=The 'Black-ish' Spinoff 'Grown-ish' Sends Zoey Off To College |url=http://uproxx.com/sepinwall/grown-ish-review-spin-off-black-ish-zoey-charlie/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411230158/http://uproxx.com/sepinwall/grown-ish-review-spin-off-black-ish-zoey-charlie/ |archive-date=April 11, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2018 |website=Uproxx |quote=The most obvious model is A Different World, which made a similar move with Lisa Bonet's Denise Huxtable}} College Magazine ranked Denise the fifth best fictional college student. Denise's "replacement" Pam was not particularly well-received by fans after she was written out of the series. In 2012, clothing company Urban Outfitters created a clothing line inspired by Denise entitled "A Different World", describing it as "a nod to the coolest older sister ever".{{Cite web |title=UO Shoots: A Different World |url=http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/external/misc/dana_boulos/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812062009/http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/external/misc/dana_boulos/ |archive-date=August 12, 2017 |access-date=August 11, 2017 |website=Urban Outfitters – Blog}} Business Insider criticized the organization for hiring a white model to promote the clothing line, arguing "that most Urban customers wouldn't even know who Denise is."{{Cite web |last=Lutz |first=Ashley |date=May 23, 2012 |title=Customers Criticize Urban Outfitters For Using A White Model To Promote Its Cosby Line |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/urban-outfitters-uses-white-model-for-cosby-line-2012-5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506073549/http://www.businessinsider.com/urban-outfitters-uses-white-model-for-cosby-line-2012-5 |archive-date=May 6, 2017 |access-date=August 11, 2017 |website=Business Insider}} Denise has served as a blueprint for and inspired a generation of young, middle-class female television characters attending college. According to Soraya Nadia McDonald of The Undefeated, "Girls modeled on Denise are smart, but their intellect isn't necessarily reflected in their grades. They're sheltered, and they move through college under ideal, manageable circumstances. And they're presented as typical, pleasant girls who should be completely relatable for white America".

Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America author Tanner Colby reported that applications to historically black colleges and universities in America increased by 14% one year after Denise started attending Hillman, while mostly white colleges experienced their first noticeable decrease in African American enrollment since the civil rights era.{{Cite book |last=Colby |first=Tanner |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=puppMT3D1awC&q=the+cosby+show+denise+huxtable&pg=PT164 |title=Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America |publisher=Penguin |year=2012 |isbn=9781101583692 |location=United Kingdom |via=Google Books}} In 2018, a spin-off of the sitcom Black-ish premiered. Entitled Grown-ish, the spin-off revolves around one of the show's characters Zoey (Yara Shahidi) leaving home and attending college; the spin-off's college-related storyline and main character have drawn extensive comparisons to Denise,{{Cite web |last=Chaney |first=Jen |date=January 3, 2018 |title=Grown-ish Still Has Some Growing to Do |url=http://www.vulture.com/2018/01/grown-ish-freeform-review.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511011100/http://www.vulture.com/2018/01/grown-ish-freeform-review.html |archive-date=May 11, 2023 |access-date=January 26, 2018 |website=Vulture}}{{Cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/tv/2017/10/27/grown-ish-first-look-yara-shahidi-black-ish-spinoff/|title=Grown-ish first look: Yara Shahidi enters a different world on Black-ish spin-off|last=Agard|first=Chancellor|date=October 27, 2017|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=January 26, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/arts/television/grown-ish-review-freeform.html|title=Review: 'grown-ish' Comes Into Its Own-ish|last=Poniewozik|first=James|date=January 9, 2018|website=The New York Times|access-date=January 26, 2018}} with both series initially "focus[ing] on the college experience of the oldest daughter in a middle-class black family."{{Cite news |last=Rao |first=Sonia |date=January 4, 2018 |title=From 'A Different World' to 'Grownish': How TV handles beloved characters going off to college |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/01/04/from-a-different-world-to-grownish-how-tv-handles-beloved-characters-going-off-to-college/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504100500/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/01/04/from-a-different-world-to-grownish-how-tv-handles-beloved-characters-going-off-to-college/ |archive-date=May 4, 2019 |access-date=January 26, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} A. Bottinick of TV Insider identified both characters' pursuit of higher education and African American heritage among their similarities, dubbing them both "the teen style icons of their time and—quite surprisingly, considering their shows take place years apart—have donned quite a few of the same looks." The York Dispatch{{'s}} Rick Bentley anticipated that Zoey would be successful because she is imbued with "the same kind of sweetness that was written into Bonet's character so many years ago."{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/entertainment/2017/12/28/grown-ish-different-world-black-ish-star/108982028/|title='grown-ish' a different world for 'black-ish' star|last=Bentley|first=Rick|date=December 28, 2017|website=The York Dispatch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128083222/https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/entertainment/2017/12/28/grown-ish-different-world-black-ish-star/108982028/?from=new-cookie|archive-date=January 28, 2018|access-date=January 27, 2017}} The Glow Up contributor S. D. Chrismon believes it is unfair to compare Zoey to her predecessor "any more than Black-ish really compares to The Cosby Show", despite both characters' similarities that include fashion and wit.{{Cite web|url=https://theglowup.theroot.com/it-s-a-different-show-grown-ish-isn-t-a-different-worl-1821817691|title=It's a Different Show: Grown-ish Isn't A Different World—and I'm Cool With That|last=Chrismon|first=S. D.|date=January 6, 2018|website=The Glow Up|access-date=January 27, 2017}}

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