Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations
American entertainer Bill Cosby has been the subject of publicized sexual assault allegations. With the earliest alleged incidents taking place in the mid-1960s, Cosby has been accused by nearly 60 women of either rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, and/or sexual misconduct. Earlier sexual assault allegations against Cosby became more public after an October 2014 comedy routine by comedian Hannibal Buress alluding to Cosby's covert sexual misbehavior went viral, and many additional claims were made after that date. The dates of the alleged incidents span from 1965 to 2008 across 10 U.S. states and one Canadian province.[1][2][3]
Cosby has maintained his innocence and repeatedly denied the allegations. In November 2014, in response to a question about the allegations, Cosby said: "I don't talk about it."[4] Cosby has declined to publicly discuss the accusations in past interviews.[5] However, he told Florida Today, "people shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to innuendos."[5] In May 2015 he said, "I have been in this business 52 years and I've never seen anything like this. Reality is a situation and I can't speak."[6]
In the wake of the allegations, numerous organizations have severed ties with the comedian, and previously awarded honors and titles have been revoked. Reruns of The Cosby Show and other shows featuring Cosby have also been pulled from syndication by many organizations. Twenty-five colleges and universities have rescinded his honorary degrees.[7] In an attempt to explain the backlash against Cosby, Adweek reporter Jason Lynch noted that the "media landscape has changed considerably—and has now been joined by the far-less-forgiving social media arena."[8]
Most of the alleged acts fall outside the statutes of limitations for criminal legal proceedings, but criminal charges have been filed against Cosby in one case and numerous civil lawsuits have been brought against him. As of November 2015, eight related civil lawsuits are active against Cosby, including two that also target Cosby's lawyer and one that also implicates his wife and manager Camille Cosby.[9][10] Gloria Allred is representing 29 of the alleged victims. In July 2015, some of the court records from Andrea Constand's 2005 civil lawsuit against Cosby were unsealed and released to the public. The full transcript of his deposition was also released to the media by a court reporting service. In his testimony, Cosby admitted to casual sex, involving use of Quaaludes, with a series of young women, and acknowledged that his dispensing the prescription drug was illegal.[11][12]
On December 30, 2015, three Class II Felony charges of aggravated indecent assault were filed against Cosby in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania[13] based on allegations by Constand concerning incidents in January 2004.
Allegations
1965–1996 allegations
Of the many other allegations against Cosby, the earliest date claimed was December 1965; Kristina Ruehli[14] accused Cosby of drugging and assaulting her in his Beverly Hills home on that date. At that time, Ruehli told her boyfriend about the incident, and in the 1980s also told her daughter. However, she did not speak further about it until 2005, when she came forward in the Andrea Constand case as Jane Doe #12.
In the early 1980s, Joan Tarshis told her story to freelance reporter John Milward. However, Milward decided not to publish the story.[15]
In 1996, Playboy Playmate Victoria Valentino gave a videotaped interview in which she made sexual assault allegations against Cosby. The interview was for an exposé on the lives of Playboy models, which was never published.[15]
Later allegations and investigations (2000–2005)
On February 1, 2000, according to a statement provided by Det. Jose McCallion of the Manhattan Special Victims Bureau, Lachele Covington, who was 20 years old at the time, filed a criminal complaint against Cosby alleging that on January 28, 2000, at Cosby's Manhattan townhouse, Cosby tried to put her hands down his pants and then exposed himself. Covington also alleged that Cosby grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hands down her pants at his home. Cosby was questioned and insisted "it was not true." The police referred her complaint to the D.A., but they declined to prosecute.[16]
In January 2004, Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, accused Cosby of drugging and fondling her; however, in February 2005, Montgomery County's District Attorney said there would be no charges due to insufficient credible and admissible evidence.[17] Constand then filed a civil claim in March 2005, with 13 women as potential witnesses if the case went to court.[18][19] Cosby settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in November 2006.[18]
After learning that charges were not pursued in the case, California lawyer Tamara Lucier Green, the only publicly named woman in the prior case, came forward with allegations in February 2005 that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s.[20][21][22] Cosby's lawyer said that Cosby did not know her and the events did not happen.[23]
In a July 2005 Philadelphia Daily News interview, Beth Ferrier, one of the anonymous "Jane Doe" witnesses in the Constand case, alleged that in 1984 he drugged her coffee and she awoke with her clothes partially removed.[24]
In 2005, Shawn Upshaw Brown, a woman whom Cosby admitted to having an extra-marital affair with in the 1970s, claimed in the National Enquirer that Cosby drugged and raped her the last time the two were together sexually. Brown is the mother of Autumn Jackson, who claims to be Cosby's illegitimate daughter. Jackson was convicted in 1997 of extortion after she threatened to make the claims public in The Globe. In 2015, Brown went into more detail with her renewed allegations in an interview for the Daily Mail.[25][26]
Additional assault allegations
After the Buress routine, in November 2014, journalist Joan Tarshis,[27] model Janice Dickinson,[28] actress Louisa Moritz,[29] Lou Ferrigno's wife Carla Ferrigno,[29] Florida nurse Therese Serignese,[30] Playboy Playmates Victoria Valentino[31] and Sarita Butterfield,[32] actress Michelle Hurd,[1] and 11 other women[1] also made accusations of alleged assaults by Cosby against themselves between 1965 and 2004;[33] in addition, social advocate and television presenter Charlotte Laws went public with an allegation of assault by Cosby against a friend of hers, with whom she subsequently lost contact.[34] In a Vanity Fair article, model Beverly Johnson alleged she was drugged during an audition in 1986, and that she knows other women with similar accounts.[35]
Cosby's attorney stated that Dickinson's account differed from prior accounts she gave of the incident and released a statement that said in part: "Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment."[36] A follow-up statement dismissed the allegations as "unsubstantiated" and an example of "media vilification."[37] A joint statement from Cosby and Constand, who had received a civil case settlement in 2006, clarified the statement released a few days prior by stating that it did not refer to Constand's case which was resolved years ago.[38]
In January 2015, Cindra Ladd alleged that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1969.[39]
In May 2015, Lili Bernard claimed that Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1992 and that she had been interviewed by police in Atlantic City, New Jersey regarding the allegation. Because that state has no statute of limitations for rape, Bernard hoped charges would be brought, but media reports noted, "it wasn't clear ... if what [Bernard] says happened to her happened in New Jersey."[40]
On July 27, 2015, New York magazine's cover featured images of 35 women sitting in chairs with the last chair empty, suggesting there may be more victims who have not come forward yet. The 35 women told "their stories about being assaulted by Bill Cosby, and the culture that wouldn't listen." Eleven other women known to New York magazine who allege sexual assault by Cosby declined to be photographed and interviewed for the feature.[41] According to Vox, the stories span "more than five decades" and are "remarkably similar, typically involving the comedian offering a woman a cup of coffee or some sort of alcoholic beverage — which may be spiked with drugs — and allegedly sexually assaulting the victim as she's impaired or unconscious."[42] On September 17, 2015, A&E broadcast the documentary program Cosby: The Women Speak, in which thirteen alleged victims provided interviews regarding their experiences.[43][44]
As of October 24, 2015, nearly 60 women have claimed that they were sexually abused by him,[45] and the terms "sociopath"[1] and "serial rapist"[1][7][27][46][47][48] have been used to describe him. Jewell Allison, one of his accusers, described him as a "sociopath"[1] and stated: "We may be looking at America's greatest serial rapist that ever got away with this for the longest amount of time. He got away with it because he was hiding behind the image of Cliff Huxtable."[7]
Criminal investigations
Constand case
Unsealing of Constand v. Cosby deposition
On July 8, 2015, Andrea Constand and her attorney Dolores Troiani filed a motion to negate the confidentiality agreement in the 2005 case against Cosby, claiming that Cosby had already engaged in "total abandonment of the confidentiality portions of the agreement" by way of the recent, sweeping denials of all allegations against him.[49][50] A judge ruled that releasing the sealed documents was justified by Cosby's role as a "public moralist" in contrast to his possible criminal private behavior.[51]
Although some of the files from the Constand case had been unsealed, the transcript of Cosby's several depositions was not among them. Instead, The New York Times had been able to obtain the complete deposition from a court reporting service that had been hired by Constand's attorney, and released the document to the public domain.[52] After it was discovered that the transcript of the deposition had been released, his lawyers filed a new motion in the case on July 21, 2015, asserting that Constand and Troiani may have orchestrated the release.[53][54]
In the court filing condemning the release of the deposition, Cosby's attorneys stressed that none of the testimony that was actually unsealed by a judge stated that he engaged in non-consensual sex or gave anyone Quaaludes without their knowledge or consent. "Reading the media accounts, one would conclude that the Defendant has admitted to rape," the document said. "And yet the Defendant admitted to nothing more than being one of the many people who introduced Quaaludes into their consensual sex life in the 1970s." Cosby's lawyers further contended that a court reporting service hired by Constand had released the 2005 court transcript to the New York Times, days earlier, in a "massive breach of protocol." The court reporters' code of ethics prohibits the release of testimony without all parties first being contacted.[53][54]
In the deposition, Cosby denied any sexual assault of any women but admitted that he had used sedatives to help gain their cooperation.[55] He testified that he had obtained Quaaludes from gynecologist Leroy Amar,[56] who knew that Cosby had no intention of taking the drugs himself. Cosby instead intended to give them to women he wanted to have sexual relations with and admitted that he had given the drug to at least one woman and other people.[57] Cosby admitted knowing it was illegal at the time to dispense the drug to other people. Amar would later have his medical license revoked in California and New York; he died in 2002.[11][58]
2015 criminal charges
On December 30, 2015, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Cosby was charged with three counts[59] of aggravated indecent assault on Constand as a result of a single incident alleged to have occurred at his home in Cheltenham Township, PA on an unspecified date between mid-January and mid-February 2004, according to the very detailed arrest warrant filed on December 15, 2015.[60] (The news media coverage refers to the date of the incident as "January 2004.")
These are the first criminal charges as a result of sexual assault allegations that have been made by many women against Cosby.[13] He was arraigned that afternoon without entering a plea; his bail was set at $1 million. Cosby surrendered his passport, posted bond, and was escorted to the Cheltenham Township police department where he was booked, fingerprinted, and photographed for a mug shot.[61]
The charges are based on Constand's statement to police of unwanted sexual contact, though not intercourse, in early 2004 that had been first reported to the Durham Regional Police Service near Constand's home in southern Ontario, Canada on January 13, 2005;[60] the report was forwarded to authorities in Pennsylvania.[62] On February 17, 2005, the then-district attorney, Bruce Castor, had released a statement that charges would not be laid at that time.
Constand started a civil lawsuit vs. Cosby in 2005 and that was settled by the defendant in July 2006, on a confidential basis. Some of the testimony from that case was finally unsealed in July 2015.[63] Based on details revealed in this testimony, along with new interviews with certain witnesses, newly elected District Attorney Kevin Steele decided to file charges on December 30, 2015.[61] The criminal court documents allege[64] that blue pills, said to be Benadryl by Cosby,[60] were given to Constand who had also been drinking wine during the January 2004 incident.[65][66]
The maximum penalty for a conviction on aggravated indecent assault in Pennsylvania is ten years in prison and a fine of $25,000.[63] Cosby's attorney issued the following statement after the arraignment: "The charge ... came as no surprise, filed 12 years after the alleged incident and coming on the heels of a hotly contested election for this county's DA during which this case was made the focal point. ... We intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that Mr. Cosby will be exonerated by a court of law."[61]
Attorneys for Cosby, on January 11, 2016, filed a motion to dismiss the sexual assault charges stating that the local district attorney’s office had promised in 2005 that Cosby would not be prosecuted.[67] In testimony involving Cosby's motion to dismiss the charges Castor defended his decision not to bring charges, citing among other things Constand's year-long delay in reporting the allegations, her continued contact with Cosby, and suggestions that she and her mother might have tried to extort the TV star.[68]
On February 3, 2016, Judge Steven O'Neill ruled "there was no basis" to dismiss the case based on Cosby's assertions. The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 8.[69] On February 12, 2016, Cosby's legal team filed a notice of appeal in the county court. They want the argument heard by Pennsylvania Superior Court. "If Mr. Cosby is successful on appeal, the case would be terminated immediately," they wrote.[70] On March 1, 2016, the Pennsylvania Superior Court issued an order temporarily staying Bill Cosby's March 8 preliminary hearing in his Pennsylvania sexual assault trial until it can rule on Cosby's appeal asking for the case to be dismissed.[71]
On April 13, 2016, Cosby filed a motion with the Pennsylvania Superior Court to re-seal the deposition from the 2006 Constand sexual assault lawsuit. His lawyer's made a similar request in federal court in Massachusetts earlier, but that motion was denied by Judge David H. Hennessy, who likened these efforts to putting the "toothpaste back in the tube," since Cosby's testimony has already been in the news for months.[72]
On April 25, 2016, The Pennsylvania Superior Court announced that it refused to hear Cosby's appeal to have the case dismissed. The court also lifted a temporary stay of the pre-trial hearing and sent the case back to the original court.[73] Cosby's Preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 24, 2016. [74]
Judith Huth
On December 16, 2014, after a 10-day investigation, Los Angeles prosecutors declined to file any charges against Cosby after Judith Huth claimed the comedian molested her around 1974 at the Playboy Mansion. Huth had met with Los Angeles police detectives for 90 minutes. In rejecting the case, prosecutors evaluated the charge Cosby would have faced in 1974. Prosecutors took into account legislative changes that extend the statute of limitations for certain crimes but found no way that Cosby could be legally prosecuted.[75]
Lili Bernard
On April 30, 2015, Cuban-American visual artist Lili Bernard filed a sexual assault complaint against Cosby in New Jersey, a state that has no statute of limitations for sexual assault.[76] On July 1, 2015, prosecutors declined to prosecute Cosby because the alleged offense happened before 1996 (the year the law was changed to lift the statute of limitations).[77]
Chloe Goins
From July through October 2015, the Los Angeles Police Department conducted a criminal investigation into Cosby's alleged sexual assault of then 18-year-old model Chloe Goins,[78] The following day, in a statement to ABC News, the LAPD said it will explore any sexual assault accusations against Cosby, including accusations for which the statute of limitations has expired,[79] and referred the case to the County District attorney's office.[80]
As with nearly all other cases of alleged sexual misconduct by Cosby, the statute of limitations has expired on this 2008 case, according to most experts. Nonetheless, an investigation of the Goins allegations because "LAPD officials said there were many reasons to investigate sexual assault allegations that fall beyond those legal deadlines. Old accusations may lead investigators to more recent incidents with other victims" and Goins would be allowed to testify if charges were laid in any other (more recent) cases.[81]
Cosby's former attorney Martin Singer has stated he would provide documentary evidence to the Los Angeles police that established Cosby was in New York on August 9, 2008, the date of the incident alleged by Goins.[82]
On January 6, 2016, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office announced that no charge would be laid because they were "blocked by the statute of limitations or lacked sufficient evidence."[83][84]
Civil lawsuits against Cosby
As of November 13, 2015, there are nine lawsuits currently active against Cosby. Judith Huth and Chloe Goins are both suing Cosby for damages related to their alleged sexual assaults. Although the statute of limitations has run out for most other accusers to sue directly for their alleged assault, multiple accusers have filed defamation lawsuits claiming that Cosby continued to call them liars through 2014: Janice Dickinson, Renita Hill, Kristina Ruehli, and Katherine McKee have filed individual lawsuits. Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, Linda Traitz, Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis, Louisa Moritz, and Angela Leslie are also involved in a combined lawsuit against Cosby.
In 2005, Andrea Constand had sued Cosby and received a settlement from him in 2006. The settlement included a confidentiality agreement. However, on July 6, 2015, after portions of the sealed deposition were released, Cosby released a statement stating, "The only reason Mr. Cosby settled was because it would have been embarrassing in those days to put all those women on the stand, and his family had no clue."[85]
During the summer of 2015, both Cosby's lawyers and Constand's lawyer filed motions accusing the other party of having broken the confidentiality agreement that was part of the 2006 settlement of the Constand lawsuit.[86] The primary issue alleged by Cosby was that a court reporter released the full transcript of Cosby's deposition, blaming Constand's attorney Dolores Troiani for this act[87] and seeking sanctions against Troiani.[88] A federal judge had unsealed portions of the evidence from the 2005 Constand lawsuit but that did not include Cosby's statements made under oath.[89] The significance of the availability of the deposition is that it contains admissions by Cosby about his tactics in dealing with other women, including the use "of powerful sedatives [including Quaaludes] in a calculated pursuit of young women," according to a New York Times summary.[90] The transcript of the full testimony was obtained by this newspaper from a court-reporting service, where it was publicly available. The significance of the availability of Cosby's deposition from the Constand case is that plaintiffs in other cases vs. Cosby, such as the Tamara Green, et al. defamation suit,[91] may be allowed by judges to use the contents of the transcript as evidence now that it is in the public domain.[92]
Twenty-nine of the accusers are being represented by attorney Gloria Allred,[93] and one accuser, Janice Dickinson, is represented by Allred's daughter, Lisa Bloom.[94] On December 11, 2015 Allred stated in an interview with Victor Fiorillo that more alleged victims would be coming forward: "More women have contacted me who have not yet spoken out publicly, some of whom may do so in the future and some of whom have chosen not to do so. They wanted me to know the information that they had so it would be of assistance to us and our victim. There are definitely more women who wish to speak out in the future who allege that they are victims of Mr. Cosby."[93]
Tamara Green, et al.
Tamara Green filed a lawsuit against Cosby and his representatives in December 2014, claiming that the continued denials amounted to publicly branding her as a liar, resulting in defamation of character.[95] Green's lawsuit was filed in Cosby's home state of Massachusetts.
In January 2015, the lawsuit was amended to allow fellow accusers Linda Joy Traitz and Therese Serignese to be added as co-plaintiffs. Martin Singer had released a statement specifically targeting Traitz after she posted allegations against Cosby on Facebook in November, calling her story "ridiculous," "absurd," and "utter nonsense."[96] No such denials were leveled explicitly at Serignese, but she claims the sweeping denials against all of Cosby's accusers included her and has damaged her reputation as well.[97]
On October 20, 2015, AIG filed legal papers in this case to try to put a stay on the litigation, pending a court declaration of whether the insurance company has a duty to help defend Cosby as well as pay for any actual damages won. AIG Property Casualty Company claims that Cosby's policy does not cover the liability he is currently facing in the lawsuit — but they have nonetheless been funding Cosby's legal defense "at a considerable cost."[98]
On November 13, 2015, it was reported that four more women—Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis, Louisa Moritz, and Angela Leslie—have joined the lawsuit as additional plaintiffs. Bowman, Tarshis, and Leslie are co-represented by Chicago attorney Michael Bressler. Lawyers for Cosby declined to comment.[99]
On December 14, 2015, Cosby filed a countersuit for defamation against all the plaintiffs, claiming that they had "malicious, opportunistic and false and defamatory accusations of sexual misconduct against him." He also claims each defendant "knowingly published false statements and accusations."[100] Cosby asked the court to award him unspecified damages and to require public retractions to be made by the women.[101]
On February 19, 2016, Camille Cosby lost an appeal to cancel or postpone a deposition request by the plaintiffs. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni ruled that she can refuse to answer questions about private conversations she and her husband shared.[102] After Camille lost an Emergency stay on Sunday February 21, 2016, she was deposed the following day. The deposition lasted approximately 7 hours - she spent about 2 1/2 hours answering questions and the rest of the time was a back and forth between lawyers on what she could or should answer. A judge had to be contacted twice during this time frame. She is scheduled to finish the deposition on April 19, 2016.[103][104]
Lawyers representing the alleged victims plan on deposing 27-time Grammy Award winner Quincy Jones. They believe Jones, who has been a friend of Cosby for more than 50 years and collaborated with him on Cosby Show songs, may have information vital to the plaintiff's case. [105] In addition to Jones, plaintiffs intend to depose and/or subpoena documents from William Morris Endeavor, Cosby’s former attorneys Martin D. Singer and John P. Schmitt and his publicist David Brokaw.[106]
On March 21, 2016, In a major blow to the defense, Judge Anita Brody granted some access to the case file of the lawyer for Andrea Constand, even though she settled in a confidential agreement with the entertainer in 2006. Brody did however limit the release of the case file to materials pertaining to the seven women plaintiffs and other witnesses.[107]
Janice Dickinson
Janice Dickinson brought forth a similar defamation lawsuit against Cosby in May 2015, filed in California. According to Dickinson's attorney, Lisa Bloom, "Calling Dickinson a liar is a defamatory statement under the law ... and that's the mistake Bill Cosby made."[94] Later court filings included sworn statements from friends and colleagues who confirm that Dickinson has provided a consistent story for many years about her alleged abuse. Pablo Fenjves, Dickinson's ghostwriter, as well as former ReganBooks president Judith Regan, both assert that Dickinson came forward with her allegations for her 2002 autobiography, but they were not included in the book because ReganBooks' parent company HarperCollins was afraid of being sued by Cosby.[108]
On November 2, 2015, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Debre Katz Weintraub ruled Cosby and his former lawyer Martin Singer must give a deposition despite their efforts to have the case thrown out (Singer is not named as a defendant in the case). The ruling states Dickinson's lawyers can only seek answers as to whether the denials were made maliciously, and Cosby and Singer can assert attorney-client privilege and refuse to answer some questions.[109] Singer was scheduled to be deposed November 19 in Los Angeles, with Cosby's deposition occurring on November 23 in Boston.[110] On November 12, a California appeals court temporarily halted an order requiring them to testify. Both parties are required to provide information by the end of this month to state their cases as to why or why not the deposition should proceed. "We are confident that once the Court of Appeals hears full argument on the issues it will allow the deposition of Mr. Cosby and his attorney to go forward," Dickinson's attorney Lisa Bloom wrote in an email. An email sent to Cosby's Attorney seeking comment was not answered.[111] Marty Singer announced that he was planning a new legal move of his own. "I'm looking forward to pursuing claims against Janice Dickinson and Lisa Bloom after I prevail in this action," Singer told Deadline tonight.[112]
On November 16, 2015, City News Service reported that Dickinson amended her suit and named Cosby's former attorney Marty Singer as a co-defendant. The amended suit states Singer prepared four press releases denying that Cosby drugged and raped Dickinson that were released three days after she made her allegations on CNN. Singer called Dickinson's allegations "fabricated" and "an outrageous defamatory lie" the suit states. The suit alleges that Singer "acted with reckless disregard to the falsity of the statements" and that there were "obvious reasons to doubt the accuracy of his statements." Cosby and Singer also refused to retract those statements despite requests from Dickinson's lawyers. Singer and Cosby terminated their work relationship soon afterwards, and the comedian is now represented by Christopher Tayback of Quinn Emanuel.[113]
On February 9, 2016, Judge Debra Katz Weintraub granted a motion by the defense to dismiss Cosby's former attorney Marty Singer as a defendant in the lawsuit.[114]
On March 29, 2016, Cosby lost his bid to have the Dickinson case dismissed. Judge Weintraub ruled the case could proceed and that a jury would decide who was telling the truth. Shortly after the ruling, Dickson said, "I want Bill Cosby in court, I want him to stand under oath." Cosby's attorney's declined to comment. But, his legal team will have several other opportunities to challenge the case before it goes to trial.[115]
Judith Huth
In December 2014, Judith Huth filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault in 1974 at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15 years old.[116] It is one of two active lawsuits against Cosby directly alleging sexual assault. Even though the incident occurred more than 40 years ago, California laws allow alleged child sexual abuse victims to bring their cases forward as an adult.[117] Cosby is countersuing both Huth and her attorney Marc Strecker for legal fees.[118] Cosby’s attorney contends Huth and her attorney engaged in an extortion attempt before filing a suit. Singer’s claim is made in a notice of demurrer. He also is seeking sanctions against Huth and her attorney, Marc Strecker.[119]
On August 4, 2015, a Los Angeles superior court judge ordered Cosby to give a sworn deposition in the lawsuit.[120] A judge refused to dismiss Huth's suit vs. Cosby[121] and he was required to provide a deposition. This was held on October 9, 2015, in Boston and lasted 7.5 hours; no further details have been made public. The deposition was sealed until at least December 22, 2015.[122] Allred has announced that she would be seeking to depose Cosby again.[123]
Huth is scheduled to give her deposition for Cosby's attorney's on January 29, 2016.[93]
On March 30, 2016, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig D. Karlan granted a temporary delay of Cosby's second deposition and any further depositions of Huth. Judge Karlan, did however rule that both sides could continue depositions of other people. Allred said she and partner John West also planned to take the depositions of other women who say they were abused by Cosby when they were underage and others.[124] Allred is scheduled to give a deposition of Renita Hill, who has claimed Cosby sexually assaulted her when she was 16 years old, on April 8. Allred also announced that she would be deposing Hugh Hefner sometime in April as well. [125]
On April 14, 2016, Cosby's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss Huth's lawsuit claiming that she changed her timeline regarding her "delayed discovery" of psychological injury or illness related to the alleged abuse.[126]
On April 26, 2016, Judge Craig Karlan refused to dismiss the majority of Huth's lawsuit; However he did dismiss a 'negligent infliction of emotional distress' claim. “The court is not, at this time, willing to dismiss plaintiff’s potentially meritorious claims against defendant based upon mistakes attributable to her former counsel,” Karlan wrote. Huth's Attorney Gloria Allred said, “We are very happy that the Court agreed and we will continue to vigorously fight for a just result for our client.” Cosby's spokesperson, Monique Pressley did not immediately comment on the decision.[127]
Chloe Goins
On October 6, 2015, Chloe Goins filed a lawsuit against Cosby.[128] Goins is suing Cosby for an unspecified amount claiming the alleged attack left her suffering from "emotional distress, psychological and psychiatric trauma, mental anguish, humiliation, confusion, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, loss of dignity", and also caused her to miss out on a "proper and complete education". However, Goins's lawyer, Spencer Kuvin, said his client's number one priority was that the truth comes out and Cosby is criminally prosecuted for his actions.[128]
Cosby's former attorney Martin Singer stated he would provide documentary evidence to the Los Angeles police that established Cosby was in New York on August 9, 2008, the date of the incident alleged by Goins.[82] Although the prosecutor's office had considered filing criminal charges as a result of the Goins allegations, the charges were dropped because the statute of limitations had expired and due to a lack of sufficient evidence.[83]
On February 2, 2016, Goins dismissed her lawsuit without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled.[129]
Renita Hill
On October 14, 2015, Cosby accuser Renita Hill, who claims that the star gave her a bit part on television, funded her college education and pledged to assist her career, all while sporadically sexually abusing her from 1983 to 1987, filed a defamation suit against Cosby, his former attorney Marty Singer and Cosby's wife and manager Camille Cosby alleging that all three defamed her, cast her in a false light and intentionally inflicted emotional distress. She was seeking a jury trial. Attorneys George M. Kontos and Katie A. Killion represent Hill.[130] Cosby's attorneys asked the court to dismiss the suit (now in federal court) in late December 2015 alleging that Cosby's denials are opinions and invoking the First Amendment.[131] Hill's attorneys have responded to the court indicating that Cosby's denials are published facts and hence are defamatory and not covered by First Amendment protections.[132]
The U.S. District Court dismissed the suit "with prejudice" on January 21, 2016 so it cannot be amended and re-filed. Judge Arthur Schwab decided that statements made by Cosby and his attorneys were opinions protected by the First Amendment.[133]
On April 22, 2016, Hill's Attorney George M. Kontos filed an appeal with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in hopes of reversing the lower courts decision.[134]
Kristina Ruehli
On November 9, 2015, Kristina Ruehli filed a defamation lawsuit against Cosby for denying her claims of rape. Ruehli's allegations against Cosby date back the furthest, with claims that Cosby assaulted her in 1965. She claims Cosby's vehement denials leveled against the numerous accusers in 2014 are grounds for defamation. Ruehli's complaint states, in part, "It is one thing for an accused sexual assailant to remain silent and allow the legal process, or public opinion, to run its course, but it is quite another for him to unleash his agents to deny that he attacked the plaintiff and other women, to invite others to republish his statements, and to brand them as unreliable liars."[135]
Katherine McKee
On December 22, 2015, Katherine McKee, a former girlfriend of Sammy Davis, Jr., sued Cosby for defamation over claims he and his attorney lied about her being raped by him in a Michigan hotel room in the early 1970s. McKee alleged in 2014 that Cosby forced himself on her after inviting her to a party on a boat in Detroit.[136]
Related litigation
Suit against Cosby attorney
On November 16, 2015, it was reported that accusers Tamara Green and Barbara Bowman filed a joint lawsuit against John Schmitt, one of Bill Cosby's lawyers. In November 2014, Schmitt released a statement reading, "Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. The fact they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment." This statement was also posted to the front page of Cosby's official website. Green and Bowman contend that this widely circulated statement amounted to branding them as liars, resulting in emotional distress and other damages.[137]
Insurance coverage dispute
AIG Property Casualty Company, Cosby's homeowner's insurance, has tentatively agreed to pick up Cosby's legal costs for the Tamara Green, et al. case in Massachusetts, as well as for Janice Dickinson's case in California, over whether these women were defamed when Cosby's representatives denied the occurrence of sexual misconduct. But the insurer has also filed lawsuits related to both cases, aiming for declaratory relief that it is not responsible. Cosby's homeowners insurance does cover him for "personal injury," which is defined in his policy as including "bodily injury"; "shock, emotional distress, mental injury"; "invasion of privacy"; and "defamation, libel, or slander." However, the policy contains an exclusion for "sexual, physical or mental abuse," setting the stage for a potentially novel legal battle over whether a defamation claim about the denial of sexual abuse is covered.[10]
In September 2015, Cosby filed a motion to either dismiss AIG's lawsuit or put it on hold. Cosby's attorneys argued that AIG was acting against Cosby's best interests, and that fighting both the lawsuits from the accusers as well as from his insurance company would drain his resources.[138]
On October 9, 2015, AIG filed a blistering response, calling Cosby's motion "bizarre and possibly unique in the entire history of American jurisprudence," criticizing Cosby's lawyers for referencing irrelevant case law from other states, and saying that if the court sided with Cosby, it "would amount to a wholesale abandonment of this Court's jurisdiction, all for no apparent reason."[139]
On November 13, 2015, California Federal Judge Beverly O'Connell granted Cosby's motion to dismiss in the Dickinson case and concluded that AIG had a duty to defend. In her opinion, O'Connell looked at the "arising out of" exclusion noted above and declares the meaning is ambiguous. "The Court finds that both Plaintiff's broad interpretation and Defendant's narrow interpretation of 'arising out of' are reasonable," she writes. "The sexual misconduct exclusion could reasonably be read to require that Dickinson's claims merely relate to sexual misconduct, or that Dickinson's claims be proximately caused by the sexual misconduct." Since ambiguous terms are interpreted in favor of finding coverage, Cosby prevails. O'Connell also gave a second independent reason for finding in Cosby's favor. She looked at the Dickinson complaint and concluded that there are allegations independent of sexual misconduct. "For example, allegations that Defendant 'intentionally drugged' Dickinson 'even though he knew that she had been in a rehab center for addiction a few months before' could reasonably be interpreted as independent of sexual misconduct, and therefore, within the Policies' coverage," she writes. "Similarly, the Dickinson Complaint alleges that Defendant's statements contain numerous implications about Dickinson, including the implication that 'Dickinson has copied the claims made publicly by other women against Defendant' and 'the implication that Ms. Dickinson's rape disclosure is and that therefore she is a liar.'" Since courts impose coverage in a "mixed" action, Cosby prevails here as well. This ruling does not apply to the Massachusetts' case, where AIG and Cosby are still fighting to determine who is liable.[140] AIG plans to appeal this ruling.[141]
A Massachusetts federal judge, Mark G. Mastroianni, denied Cosby's bid to dismiss or pause the AIG suit on December 14, 2015. This judge, also responsible for the Green et al. defamation suit vs. Cosby, also denied the insurance company's motion to pause that case.[142]
Gloria Allred vs Cobb-Marietta Coliseum, et al.
On November 18, 2015, Gloria Allred announced she was suing Cobb County, GA; Cobb-Marietta Coliseum; and Michael Taormina for violating her first amendment rights when she was denied entry to Cosby's stand-up comedy performance on May 2, 2015 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta. Allred participated in a protest outside of the venue, but had also purchased a ticket to the show. Nevertheless, local police officers told her she would be arrested for trespassing if she entered the theater. Allred said Cosby's team coordinated with security and police to deny entry to individuals they had placed on a list of "agitators." Cobb-Marietta Coliseum is the name of the company that organized the show, and Taormina is its managing director. The police officers are employed by Cobb County.
"Performers should not be able to commandeer a police force (as Bill Cosby's representatives appeared to do) in order to exclude individuals from the performance because they have a different viewpoint than the performer has," Allred said. She is seeking a court order to prohibit what she calls the venue's "censorship policy on admissions."[143]
Andrea Constand vs Bruce Castor
On October 26, 2015, Andrea Constand filed a federal lawsuit against former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor for defamation. Constand is being represented by her original 2006 Constand vs Cosby attorney Dolores Troiani.[144]
Cosby's lead criminal lawyer in Pennsylvania is fighting a subpoena related to his $2,500 donation to the ex-prosecutor who says he had promised Cosby that he would never be charged. Lawyer Brian McMonagle co-hosted a political fundraiser for former District Attorney Bruce Castor early last year but said it took place months before he joined Cosby's defense team in September. Constand's lawyer now wants McMonagle to detail any ties between his office and Castor, including phone records and documents. She wants Cosby to do the same. A hearing on pretrial motions in Constand's defamation case is set for April 15.[145]
Bill Cosby vs Beverly Johnson
On December 21, 2015, Cosby sued supermodel Beverly Johnson for defamation,[146] claiming that she told a false story in a Vanity Fair article.[147] This was the first time Cosby had sued a woman who has claimed assault without being sued himself first. Cosby's lawsuit accuses Johnson of lying about the incident in which she says Cosby spiked a cup of cappuccino with an unknown drug.[148] Realizing what was happening, Johnson said she screamed and cursed at him several times before Cosby dragged her out and hailed a cab for her. (No sexual contact by Cosby was alleged in Johnson's version of the event.) Allegedly, she also repeated the story in subsequent interviews and in her memoirs, released on August 25, 2015.
Johnson's "false allegations against Mr. Cosby have been the centerpiece of her attempted resurgence and she has played them to the hilt, repeatedly and maliciously publishing the false accusations in articles, interviews, and television appearances," Cosby's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction preventing the model from repeating her claims and requests they be removed from Johnson's memoir, which was released in August."[149]
On February 19, 2016, Cosby filed a motion to dismiss his lawsuit against Johnson. His attorney Monique Pressley wrote in an email Thursday that Cosby made the move to focus on his defense in a criminal case in Pennsylvania. Pressley wrote that Cosby plans to re-file the case against Johnson before the statute of limitations expires.[150]
Bill Cosby vs Andrea Constand, Constand's Mother, Constand's Attorneys & National Enquirer
On February 1, 2016, Cosby filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Andrea Constand, her mother Gianna Constand, her current lawyer Dolores Troiani, her former lawyer Bebe Kivitz and the publisher of the National Enquirer. Cosby filed the lawsuit a day before the February 2 criminal court hearing that included testimony from Troiani. The lawsuit seeks full repayment plus interest on "the substantial financial benefit". The filing states "Despite being expressly prohibited from disclosing such information to anyone, Andrea Constand volunteered to participate and disclosed such information to the district attorney and others". Troiani has maintained that the settlement agreement only barred Constand from initiating criminal proceedings against Cosby and not from cooperating if authorities came to her first. Prosecutors introduced a copy of the agreement, redacted to hide all but a single sentence, at Cosby's pretrial hearing this month. That line read: "Constand agrees that she will not initiate any criminal complaint against Cosby arising from the underlying facts of this case." The lawsuit currently remains under seal and Cosby's lawyers have declined to comment on the nature of the allegations in it.[151]
On April 15, 2016, A hearing will be heard to hear arguments by the defense that the confidentiality agreement in a 2006 sexual assault lawsuit settlement should be null and void and that they should be allowed to discuss it without repercussions from Cosby.[152]
M. Eugene Gibbs-Squire vs Bill Cosby, Smithsonian Institution Reegents, et al
In what many are considering a very strange lawsuit, Melvin Gibbs a retired police officer, has a lawsuit pending against Cosby and others claiming that Bill Cosby used the alleged cover up of rapes as part of a racketeering and RICO conspiracy to cover up the theft of Billions of dollars worth of African American artwork. The lawsuit is pending in the Eastern Division of Pennsylvania Federal Court. Gibbs also claims that he has been reporting Cosby's alleged rapes since 2000 and that the Attorney General and others conspired to protect Cosby from charges being filed and that Constand would not have been raped by Cosby if they had listened to him.[153][154]
Reactions
Recalling encounters with Cosby
_(cropped).jpg)
Columnist Norm Clarke recalled an encounter with Cosby in the 1990s in Denver, where the comedian embraced a crowd of adoring fans but treated Clarke with contempt. Clarke wrote: "Last week, as allegations of sexual assault mounted against Cosby, I found myself wondering why a man so beloved, here and around the globe, who had won over everyone from school kids to media, kept a Denver newspaperman at bay. ... So what if he didn't want to talk to another journalist? But now I tend to think something else may have been involved. Self-preservation."[155]
Clarke related the experience of Donna Tagliaferri, who described "a terrifying incident after meeting Cosby in the mid-1970s through tennis" when she was in her early 20s. After playing tennis with Cosby a number of times, he invited her on a dinner date and then invited her up to his hotel room. Tagliaferri had a girlfriend accompany them. After showing them around the penthouse, "things changed dramatically and quickly. He made it clear to me in a very aggressive way what his intentions were. He chillingly said to me, 'I will have you.' Those words are imprinted on my brain along with the evil I felt. My first thought was, 'No you will not.' Then shock took over, and when words wouldn't come a paralyzing feeling did." At this point her girlfriend started talking and got them out of the situation: "I have no way of knowing what would have happened if Wendy had not been there. What I do know is his words were an assault to me never to be forgotten. And the betrayal of a friendship was staggering."[156]
Dana Kennedy, a journalist and correspondent, profiled Cosby for the Associated Press (AP) in 1992, noting that even though Cosby was at the height of his success and did not have any measurably negative publicity, he went on at length about "why he mistrusts the press," saying he likes to "control" his interviews. The AP piece reflected more on how uncomfortable the interview was than the substance of the interview itself. In 2014, Kennedy recalled that after the critical AP piece ran, Cosby sent her a cryptic package with a withered piece of fruit wrapped up in a paper towel. She noted that despite her interviews with some of the most notorious celebrities, it was Cosby—during the time of his highest popularity—who stood out as having a "scary" persona, recalling the mysterious package as something that "has always given" her "the creeps." It was her remembrance of "how intimidating and menacing" Cosby was during that experience which led her to believe the stories of the women who were accusing Cosby.[157]
Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Cosby's son Theo on The Cosby Show, stated when asked about Cosby’s state of mind since Cosby was charged with sexual assault on December 30, Warner was reluctant to divulge details of their personal conversations. "He’s doing alright. That part I really don’t feel comfortable talking about because we’ve always had a close personal relationship," Warner said. "He’s always been very, very good to me. Our personal conversations I tend to keep personal."[158]
Defenses of Cosby
In 2014, Camille Cosby, who married Cosby in 1964 when she was 19, released a statement supporting her husband, describing him as a victim of unvetted accusations: "The man I met, and fell in love with, and whom I continue to love, is the man you all knew through his work. He is a kind man ... and a wonderful husband, father and friend."[159]
In a January 2015 Time magazine article about why black women should stop defending Cosby, actress Phylicia Rashad is quoted defending him: "What you're seeing is the destruction of a legacy. And I think it's orchestrated. I don't know why or who's doing it, but it's the legacy. And it's a legacy that is so important to the culture."[160]
In a July 2015 USA Today article about how the actors of The Cosby Show responded to the allegations, Keshia Knight Pulliam of the cast stated "All I can speak to is the man I know and I love the fact that he has been such an example [and] you can't take away from the great that he has done, the millions and millions of dollars he has given back to colleges and education, and just what he did with the Cosby Show and how groundbreaking that was. The Cosbys, we were the first family that no matter what race, religion, you saw yourself in," further addressing the charges against Cosby. "At the end of the day they are allegations. ... I don't have that story to tell."[161]
In September 2015, comedian Damon Wayans attacked the accusers, calling them "un-rape-able," and defended Cosby by stating, "It's a money hustle."[162]
In December 2015, actor and comedian Eddie Griffin suggested that Cosby was the victim of a conspiracy to destroy his image and that several other prominent African-American men had been victims of similar conspiracies.[163]
Defenders change minds
Two notable people who had previously defended Cosby, and believed in his innocence, changed their minds. American actress and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg and Joseph C. Phillips (a Cosby Show regular for three years) each made public statements on July 15, 2015. Goldberg said, "If this is to be tried in the court of public opinion, I got to say all of the information that's out there kind of points to guilt." In an interview Goldberg had a message for Cosby: "It looks bad, Bill. Either speak up or shut up."[164] Goldberg had received threats for staunchly standing by Cosby.[164] Goldberg, in the form of a question, referred to Cosby as a "serial rapist" and questioned why he was still on the streets.[48] Phillips was more direct in a separate comment from Goldberg, saying "Of course Bill Cosby is guilty!"[165]
Obama reaction
On July 8, 2015 a petition was launched on Whitehouse.gov by PAVE: Promoting Awareness and Victim Empowerment. The petition called on the president to revoke Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom award (which Cosby received from President George W. Bush in July 2002).[166]
The petition received international media recognition and sparked a wider discussion over whether a sitting president has the authority to withdraw a Presidential Medal of Freedom award from its recipient.
On July 15, 2015, President Barack Obama was asked at a news conference if Bill Cosby's Medal of Freedom award would be revoked. President Obama responded by stating:
- "There's no precedent for revoking a medal. We don't have that mechanism. And, as you know, I tend to make it a policy not to comment on the specifics of cases where there might still be, if not criminal, then civil, issues involved. [long pause] I'll say this, if you give a woman, or a man for that matter, without his or her knowledge, a drug, and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape. And I think this country, any civilized country, should have no tolerance for rape."[167]
Buress remarks (2014)
.jpg)
In October 2014, as part of a stand-up comedy routine in Philadelphia, Hannibal Buress addressed Cosby's legacy of "talk[ing] down" to young black men about their mode of dress and lifestyle. Buress criticized the actor's public moralizing by saying, "Yeah, but you raped women, Bill Cosby, so that kind of brings you down a couple notches." The audience appeared to respond to Buress's accusation as an incredulous joke before he encouraged everyone to "Google 'Bill Cosby rape' " when they got home. Buress had been using the same Cosby routine for the previous six months with little response,[168] but the October performance went viral after being posted on Philadelphia magazine's website.[169][170][171] A media firestorm ensued, with numerous publications tackling the question of how Cosby had managed to maintain, as Buress called it in his routine, a "teflon image" despite more than a decade of public sex abuse accusations.[172][173]
Cosby's response
After Tamara Green, one of the witnesses in Andrea Constand's case, re-told her story to Newsweek in February 2014, Cosby's publicist David Brokaw issued a statement at the time calling Green's story a "10-year discredited accusation that proved to be nothing at the time, and is still nothing."[174] When the sexual assault claims against Cosby exploded at the end of 2014, denials by Brokaw and other Cosby representatives became even more vehement, with lawyer Martin Singer calling all of the allegations "unsubstantiated, fantastical stories ... [that] have escalated past the point of absurdity."[175]
When Dickinson came forward in November 2014 to accuse Cosby of raping her in 1982, Singer issued a denial on behalf of Cosby, saying explicitly, "Janice Dickinson's story accusing Bill Cosby of rape is a lie."[176]
Around the time of these interviews, Cosby's lawyers began sending sharply worded letters to publications that wrote about the sexual assault allegations, threatening them with legal action and using phrases like "proceed at your own peril" if they published certain stories.[177] News outlets published the threatening letters from Cosby's attorneys.
In November 2014, one of Cosby's lawyers, John Schmitt, released a statement reading, "Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. The fact they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment." This statement was also posted to the front page of Cosby's official website.[137]
Subsequent to his arraignment on three felony charges based on the Constand case, Cosby tweeted the following message on December 30, 2015 using his Twitter account: "Friends and fans, Thank You [sic]."[178]
Interviews
Cosby was asked directly about Buress's comments and the resulting fallout in two November 2014 interviews, which were originally intended to be about a new art exhibit at the Smithsonian that featured his private collection of African American art. In an NPR interview on November 15, 2014, reporter Scott Simon said: "This question gives me no pleasure, Mr. Cosby, but there have been serious allegations raised about you in recent days." Cosby became silent, leading to an awkward radio exchange in which Simon verbally described Cosby's actions to listeners: "you're shaking your head no." Simon continued asking Cosby to comment on the allegations before finally wrapping up the interview with no further communication from Cosby.[179] In a November 6, 2014, interview with Associated Press (AP) reporter Brett Zongker, Cosby appeared visibly rattled by unexpected Buress questions and told Zongker, "No, no, we don't answer that." In the proceeding minutes, Cosby repeatedly attempted to get Zongker to confirm that the AP would edit out the Buress questions, implying that Zongker's "integrity" and ability to be a "serious reporter" would be compromised if that portion of the interview was not "scuttled." When Zongker failed to guarantee this request, Cosby turned to his off-camera publicist David Brokaw and told him to get on the phone with Zongker's editors "immediately." When the interview was first released on November 10, the Buress questions had indeed been omitted. However, after the allegations continued to gain new traction, including a new accusation from Janice Dickinson, the AP decided to release footage of the full exchange on November 19.[180]
In a November 21, 2014, Florida Today interview, Cosby stated: "I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn't have to answer to innuendos. People should fact check. People shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to innuendos."[181]
Fallout
Numerous institutions, colleges, universities, businesses, and broadcast networks have severed ties with Cosby as a result of the allegations.
Cosby's massive amount of honorary degrees has been the subject of controversy. It is estimated that the comedian received more than 60 honorary degrees between 1985 and 2014,[183] many of which were conferred after Cosby admitted to funneling money to mistress Shawn Upshaw in the 1990s, was accused of sexually assaulting Lachele Covington in 2000, and faced a sexual abuse lawsuit in 2005 by Andrea Constand with 13 other alleged victims prepared to come forward. Nevertheless, Cosby continued to collect honorary degrees, up until Boston University granted the honor to him in May 2014.[184] The University of Arizona was still in discussions as late as November 2014 to award a degree to Cosby in 2015.[185]
However, as the Cosby controversy continued to unfold, there was an increasing movement to draw attention to sexual violence on college campuses, with growing criticism that the bureaucracy of higher education led to a culture where sexual crimes were not taken seriously. New York magazine referred to the movement in 2014 as a "revolution against campus sexual assault."[186] It became so prevalent that Vice President Joe Biden released an op-ed in 2015 to combat the issue.[187] It was under this backdrop that numerous colleges and universities began to sever their ties with Cosby, with an unprecedented number of them rescinding his honorary degrees.
When announcing their condemnation of Cosby, many universities used the opportunity to voice strong no-tolerance policies of sexual violence of any kind. Brown University said Cosby's alleged actions were "particularly troubling as our university community continues to confront the very real challenges of sexual violence on our campus and in society at large."[188] In Baylor University's statement announcing Cosby's rescinded degree, it added, "Through the efforts of our Title IX Office, we are encouraging victims to report acts of interpersonal and sexual violence, and making sure those suffering from the effects of such acts are provided the necessary support and services to feel safe and be academically successful."[189]
Despite more than 20 institutions rescinding Cosby's degrees, several others refused to do so, often citing their policy never to rescind anyone's degree for any reason. Most of these schools nevertheless included statements abhorring Cosby's conduct.[190][191]
University of Pennsylvania received some of the greatest backlash when it announced it would not rescind Cosby's honorary degree because of university policy. It had no comment when confronted about the fact that Penn had actually previously rescinded two other honorary degrees.[192] Philadelphia magazine published an op-ed titled "Penn, Are You Serious About Not Revoking Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree?" summarizing, "On a campus where 27 percent of women report being sexually assaulted, the hesitation is unacceptable."[193]
Institutions sever ties
In November 2014, colleges and universities with ties to Cosby began removing their affiliations with him. The University of Massachusetts Amherst, one of Cosby's almae matres, asked Cosby to step down as an honorary co-chairman of the university's fundraising campaign. The Berklee College of Music, which had previously awarded Cosby with an honorary degree, got rid of a scholarship that it offered in Cosby's name. High Point University in North Carolina also pulled Cosby from its advisory board, and Freed-Hardeman University rescinded its invitation for Cosby to appear at an annual dinner in December.[194]
On December 4, 2014, the United States Navy took the rare step of revoking Cosby's honorary title of Chief Petty Officer, which he had received in 2011. The Navy released a statement saying the "allegations against Mr. Cosby are very serious and are in conflict with the Navy's core values of honor, courage and commitment."[195][196][197]
In December 2014, amid pressure to cut long-term ties with Temple University, Cosby resigned from the board of trustees.[198]
On December 14, 2014, Spelman College indefinitely suspended its "Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professorship," named after Cosby's wife.[199] The college said it would restore the endowed professorship when its "original goals can again be met," but after Cosby's 2005 deposition became public in July 2015, Spelman discontinued the professorship entirely.[200]
By the end of 2014, talent agency CAA dropped Cosby as a client, leaving him without a Hollywood agent.[201]
On July 7, 2015, Walt Disney World removed a statue of Bill Cosby that had been featured as part of the Hollywood Studios park's "Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza."[202]
In mid July 2015, after enormous public pressure to remove art work owned by Cosby, the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art decided to post a disclaimer reminding visitors that an exhibition featuring Cosby's art collection is about the artists, not a tribute to the embattled comedian.[203] The critically panned show, which had been planned since 2012 and partly underwritten by $716,000 in tax-deductible donations to the museum by Bill and Camille Cosby (who sits on the NMAA's board), is titled "Conversations" and includes 62 works lent by the couple. It is expected to run until January 24, 2016.[204]
On July 20, 2015, it was announced that Cosby would no longer appear in the upcoming documentary Painted Down, about the history of African American stuntmen in film and television. Cosby is credited with helping to create the Black Stuntmen's Association in 1967. Producer Nonie Robinson claimed, "We were the last project standing behind him" but said that pulling him from the documentary was "the right thing to do in light of the recent court deposition being made public." At the same time, The Black Stuntmen's Association removed a tribute to Cosby on its website.[205]
On July 23, 2015, Simon & Schuster confirmed to the Associated Press that it would not be releasing a paperback version of the Cosby-approved 2014 biography Cosby: His Life and Times, which gained criticism for not addressing the then-few public sexual assault allegations against Cosby.[206] The publisher also pulled celebrity endorsements for the book after David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld reportedly asked to distance themselves from the biography.[207]
On July 23, 2015, according to the Philadelphia City Paper, a "Father's Day" mural depicting Cosby, Nelson Mandela, and Desmond Tutu, was scheduled for removal. It was painted over after being defaced with graffiti reading "rapist" and "dude with ludes," referencing the recently unsealed 2005 deposition in which the comedian admitted to obtaining Quaaludes to give to women with the intention of having sex with them. The Mural Arts Program was already intending to remove the mural, but rapidly accelerated the removal due to pressure.[208]
On August 17, 2015, New York University's free 12-week film program for high school students cut all ties with Cosby. NYU had previously named the program "William H. Cosby Future Filmmakers Workshop." NYU has since removed Cosby's name from the Future Filmmakers program and deleted the webpage containing program information. "The workshops will be continuing, but Cosby's name has been removed ... in light of recent events" NYU spokesperson Matt Nagel told NYU Local in an August 28 email.[209]
On September 2, 2015, a portrait of Cosby made from seeds sparked outrage from attendees at the Minnesota State Fair held at the Agriculture Horticulture Building in Minnesota. Artist Nick Rindo made the crop portrait of Cosby from a type of canola seeds called rapeseed. He accompanied the Cosby portrait with a small card, explaining that it was made from rapeseed, but one of the staff taped over the word rapeseed. Due to the outrage, it was taken down after a day of display.[210]
On September 11, 2015, Central State University, a historically black college which Cosby has donated over $2 million to, officially permanently removed Cosby's name from the Camille O. & William H. Cosby Communications Center and renamed it the CSU Communications Center. The school had been temporarily covering Cosby's name since July while it made a final decision.[211]
On October 7, 2015, Temple University announced that it would be further distancing itself from Cosby by replacing the vacated seat that he resigned from in December 2014, with Temple alumnus and NBC correspondent Tamron Hall. The board was expected to vote on this on October 13, 2015. Hall was expected to take her seat on the board in December.[212]
On November 19, 2015, Central High School's alumni board voted to remove Cosby from its Hall of Fame. Board president Jeffrey Muldawer said the decision was made to "eliminate an issue" that was distracting from its mission. He says some board members did not feel comfortable holding Cosby up as a role model for children. Muldawer says Cosby's removal does not reflect an opinion about the allegations. Cosby attended Central only for part of his freshman year. He was inducted in 1998.[213]
On January 20, 2016, Hampton University, a historically black college, announced the removal of Cosby from its board of trustees due to allegations of multiple sexual assaults: "For decades, Bill Cosby supported Hampton University as an institution of higher education, including serving on its board of trustees. He no longer serves on the board."[214]
On March 31, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, announced that they would be addressing Cosby's sexual assault allegations in its exhibit. Initially the museum said it would not, but after enormous public pressure it changed its decision. The museum, which opens September 24, will include the cover of a comedy album by the Philadelphia-native Cosby and a comic book from his pioneering TV drama I Spy as part of its exhibit on black entertainers and artists.[215]
Honorary degrees rescinded
A total of 25 academic institutions have rescinded honorary degrees they awarded to Cosby. Most of them cited Cosby's 2005 depostion.[188][216][216][217] Several of these institutions had never rescinded an honorary degree before,[218][219][220] or only once before.[188]
Fordham University rescinded Cosby's honorary degree.[218] Fordham said, "The University has taken this extraordinary step in light of Mr. Cosby's now-public court depositions that confirm many of the allegations made against him by numerous women." and that "Mr. Cosby was willing to drug and rape women for his sexual gratification, and further damage those same women's reputations and careers to obscure his guilt, hurt not only his victims, but all women, and is beyond the pale."[216] The next day Cosby's attorney John P. Schmitt sent a letter to Fordham University calling its statement "so irresponsible as to shock the conscience," and saying "The mischaracterization of Mr. Cosby's testimony is so egregious that one can only conclude that it was written by one either unfamiliar with the testimony or determined deliberately to misrepresent Mr. Cosby's words." Schmitt criticized the university for an apparent effort to lend "gratuituous support" to defamation suits pending against Cosby, citing what he called the school's unfounded claim that the entertainer has a "longtime strategy of denigrating the reputations of women who accused him of such actions."[221]
Also rescinding degrees were Marquette University,[218] the University of San Francisco,[222] Brown University,[188] * Wilkes University,[223] Baylor University,[189] Lehigh University,[224] Goucher College,[225][226] Tufts University,[227] Franklin & Marshall College,[217] Amherst College,[219] Springfield College,[228] Muhlenberg College,[229] Drexel University,[230] Bryant University,[231] The University of Pittsburgh,[232] Drew University,[233] The California State University,[213] The City University of New York,[234] Swarthmore College,[235] Boston University,[236] Occidental College,[237] Oberlin College.[238] and Haverford College[239]
A number of universities and educational institutions emphasized that they conferred honorary degrees on Cosby based on information known at the time of the award, and while some said they deplored recent revelations about Cosby's conduct, they lacked a policy or mechanism for revoking the honor. Other colleges refused comment, or stated that decisions were still pending. As of November 2015, Cosby maintained valid honorary degrees from Berklee College of Music, Boston College, Carnegie Mellon University, Colby College, Colgate University, Cooper Union, Delaware State University, Fashion Institute of Technology, George Washington University, Hampton University, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, North Carolina A&T State University, Ohio State University, Old Dominion University, Paine College, Pepperdine University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rust College, Sisseton Wahpeton College, Talladega College, Temple University, The College of William & Mary, University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, University of Maryland, University of Notre Dame, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California, University of Pennsylvania, Virginia Commonwealth University, Wesleyan University, West Chester University, and Yale University.[240]
Broadcast networks cancel shows
On November 17, 2014, Netflix postponed a Cosby stand-up comedy special after accusations surfaced that Cosby had sexually assaulted Janice Dickinson in 1982.[241]
Reruns of The Cosby Show and other shows associated with Cosby have also been canceled. On November 19, 2014, TV Land and NBC both ended their relationships with Cosby: TV Land announced that it was pulling reruns from its schedule and also removing clips of the show from its website,[242][243] while NBC scrapped its plans to develop a brand new sitcom starring Cosby.[195] In December 2014, the Magic Johnson-owned Aspire removed the two series I Spy and The Bill Cosby Show from its lineup.[244] In July 2015, broadcast network Bounce TV pulled reruns, and BET's Centric (another Viacom unit) stopped airing reruns.[245] The show is still available on Hulu Plus.[246]
Legislative changes
Ontario sex assault plan
In March 2015, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced a new plan titled "It's Never Okay" which includes an unprecedented $41 million budget to combat sexual violence and harassment: "The new plan was drafted in response to high-profile incidents that remain under investigation, including sexual-assault allegations against members of the University of Ottawa men's hockey team, Jian Ghomeshi, and Bill Cosby."[247]
Nevada sex assault law
On May 26, 2015, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed a bill that extends the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of rape from four years to twenty years. Lise Lotte Lublin, who accused Cosby of drugging her in 1989 in a Las Vegas, Nevada hotel, testified in support of the new law and asked Nevada Assembly Member Irene Bustamante Adams to introduce bill AB212.[248]
Colorado sex assault bill
On September 15, 2015, Cosby accusers Beth Ferrier, Heidi Thomas, and Helen Hayes met with State Representative Rhonda Fields, 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, and others at the Capitol in Denver, Colorado. There they discussed lengthening the current ten-year statute of limitations in Colorado for sexual assault. Gloria Allred, who represents most of the nearly 60 alleged victims, spoke to the gathering via Skype: "I have been to New Jersey, and I'm not aware of any down side since they eliminated the statute (of limitations) for rape and sex assault." Brauchler said he does not want any victim denied a fair hearing because of Colorado's statute, but "I don't have a magic number." Any change would have to be done carefully, he said, because the more time that passes between an alleged sex assault and prosecution, the harder it is for the accused to defend themselves. Fields noted that Colorado has no statutory limit on murder. "Why have an arbitrary cap for sex assault?"[249]
On February 11, 2016, The House Judiciary Committee voted 11-0 to send the bill extending the statute form 10 to 20 years to the full House. Both Ferrier and Thomas, whom were alleged victims of Cosby, spoke at the hearing before the decision was made the same day. The Bill is being cosponsored by Rep. Rhonda Fields and Sen. John Cooke.[250]
Presidential Medal of Freedom bill
On January 5, 2016 it was discovered that Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) has been crafting a measure to revoke Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom since the July release of a 2005 deposition in which Cosby acknowledged using drugs on women with whom he wanted to have sexual relations. "Cosby has admitted to drugging women in order to satisfy his sexual desires, and, therefore, the Federal government should not recognize Cosby with an honor like the Presidential Medal of Freedom," the bill states. The legislation would further impose criminal penalties on anyone who publicly displays a Medal of Freedom revoked by the president, including up to a year in prison. "To continue honoring Bill Cosby with this prestigious accolade would be an affront to women nationwide, particularly those who were victims of his horrific acts," Gosar wrote in a letter to fellow lawmakers asking them to co-sponsor his bill.[251]
Oregon sex assault bill
A bill in the Oregon Senate would create an exception to the 12-year statute of limitations for the most serious sex crimes — including rape, sodomy and child abuse — allowing prosecutors to bring charges if new concrete evidence emerges. For example, they could reopen the case if multiple victims come forward with similar allegations or if new written evidence is discovered. Senate Bill 1553 was inspired by high-profile rape cases, including the one involving Brenda Tracy, who reported being raped by four football players in Corvallis in 1998, and the one involving Cosby. Under the bill, new victims coming forward could be used as evidence to reopen a case, said Aaron Knott, the legislative director for Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. "While Bill Cosby is a celebrity, it's not unique to him," Knott told lawmakers at a committee hearing on February 8, 2016.[252]
California sex assault bill
On January 3, 2016, California State Senator Connie Leyva introduced Senate bill 813 named "Justice for Victims Act". This bill would eliminate the 10 year statute of limitations in California for felony sexual offenses of rape, sodomy, lewd or lascivious acts, continuous sexual abuse of a child, oral copulation, and sexual penetration. The bill has support from Gloria Allred, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office and others.[253]
On April 12, 2016, Four alleged victims of Bill Cosby, Linda Kirkpatrick, Lili Bernard, Victoria Valentino and "Kasey" testified before the Senate committee. "I wanted them to know that the system failed us," Kirkpatrick said. Also testifying was High Profile Attorney Gloria Allred who represents 30 of Cosby's alleged victims.[254]
A grassroots campaign called #EndRapeSOL was started by feminist and LGBT rights activist Ivy Bottini and Dr. Caroline Heldman, who are pushing for an end to the statute of limitations around the country. They are supporting this bill. Gloria Allred, Lili Bernard, Victoria Valentino and other alleged victims of Cosby have been actively involved in this grassroots effort.
Cosby's alleged mention of drugs
In light of the allegations of drug-assisted sexual assaults, Cosby's history of jokes about "Spanish Fly" has come under increased scrutiny. It has been described as coming back "to haunt him."[255]
In his 1969 biographical comedy album It's True! It's True!, he talks of the male fantasy with "Spanish fly" and jokes about slipping the aphrodisiac into unsuspecting women's drinks. The joke begins with a 13-year-old Cosby first hearing of the substance and ends with an adult Cosby excitedly asking about getting Spanish fly while in Spain, only to be disappointed when a local cab driver asks him for "American fly."[255]
In a 1991 interview with Larry King, as part of a promotional tour for his book Childhood, Cosby joked about “Spanish Fly,” a slang term in his youth for a pill that could serve as an aphrodisiac.[255]
In his 1992 book Childhood, Cosby devotes an entire chapter to Spanish fly, recalling how enamored he was with the concept as a pubescent boy. A young Cosby asks what Spanish fly looks like, how to give it to a girl ("In a sandwich of somethin'?"), and how much of it to use, to which one of Cosby's childhood friends replies, "Soon as her clothes come off, that's enough."[46] Kirkus Reviews summarized the book and chapter mentioning Spanish fly stating: "From musical beds with Russell to a pubescent hunt for fabled Spanish Fly, it's all contrived and easy enough reading for both those now caught in the undertow of childhood and their seniors who somehow survived it long ago. With a book that's transparent, easily digested, low calorie, and inoffensive, Cosby is still selling Jell-O."[256]
On January 8, 2015, in a stand up routine by Cosby at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, he quipped, "You have to be careful about drinking around me," to a woman in the front row who reportedly was exiting to get a beverage and offered to grab him one. MSNBC and National Post journalists interpreted Cosby's joke as a reference to the drugging and sexual assault allegations against him.[257][258]
Alleged hush money payments and cover-up
After the allegations resurfaced in 2014, Wendy Williams recalled that during her radio show in the 1990s, she made a reference to sexual assault allegations against Cosby that had been published in the National Enquirer. Williams said Cosby called her boss in the middle of the radio broadcast demanding that Williams be fired.[259]
It has been reported that one of the reasons why many of Cosby's accusers did not initially come forward is because Cosby gave them money in exchange for their silence. When asked in his deposition who he wished to keep the affair from, Cosby replied "Mrs. Cosby."[260]
In November 2014, former NBC facilities manager Frank Scotti told the New York Daily News that while working on The Cosby Show, Cosby funneled regular payments to several women via money orders that Scotti was told to purchase in his own name. Among the women identified in receipts that Scotti preserved for more than 20 years were Shawn Thompson, Cosby's admitted mistress who later accused him of fathering her child, and Angela Leslie, who claimed Cosby made unwanted sexual advances toward her in the early 1990s. Scotti "suspected that [Cosby] was having sex with them." He also noted that Cosby "was covering himself by having my name on [the money orders]. It was a coverup."[261] Scotti also claimed that Cosby regularly took aspiring models and actresses into his dressing room and instructed Scotti, "Stand outside the door and don't let anyone in." In a later interview for NBC's Today Show, Scotti said he "felt like a pimp."[262] Cosby's lawyer Martin Singer denied Scotti's accusations and said the walker-bound 90-year-old was merely seeking "his 15 minutes of fame."[261]
In the 2005 deposition that was made public in July 2015, Cosby admitted to making regular payments to Therese Serignese after having sex with her in the 1970s.[260] Serignese is one of several women now suing Cosby for denying that he sexually assaulted her.
Also, in Cosby's 2005 court deposition, he recalled that the National Enquirer was about to run a story about accuser Beth Ferrier's alleged assault, but Cosby was able to use his influence to get the magazine to pull that story in exchange for an exclusive, more positive interview with him.[12]
The arrest warrant in the Andrea Constand case[60] discusses the information that she had provided to authorities including an alleged offer by Cosby to pay the cost of Constand's grad school tuition and a trip for her and her mother to Florida. Constand did not accept either and started a civil suit against Cosby which he subsequently paid to settle.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stern, Marlow. "Bill Cosby's Long List of Accusers (So Far): 18 Alleged Sexual Assault Victims Between 1965-2004". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ↑ Seemayer, Zach (February 26, 2015). "Bill Cosby's Accusers: A Timeline of Alleged Sexual Assault Claims (Updated)". ET Online. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ↑ Ioannou, Filipa; Mathis-Lilley, Ben; Hannon, Elliot (November 21, 2014). "A Complete List of the Women Who Have Accused Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault". Slate. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ↑ Rhodan, Maya. "Bill Cosby on Rape Allegations: 'I Don't Talk About It'". Time. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby defiant about answering sexual assault allegations". KFOR-TV Digital Desk and CNN Wire. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby addresses sexual misconduct allegations for the first time". The Week. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Holley, Peter (December 1, 2014), "Colleges cut ties with Bill Cosby as the list of women accusing him of sexual assault hits 20", The Washington Post, retrieved September 27, 2015
- ↑ How Bill Cosby Went From TV's 'Most Persuasive' Pitchman to Its Most Radioactive NBC pulls the plug, Netflix backs away By Jason Lynch, November 19, 2014, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Winton, Richard (July 7, 2015). "Bill Cosby's admission on Quaaludes may spur lawsuits against him, legal experts say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby Tells Judge That Insurer Is Threatening His Defense Against Accusers". The Hollywood Reporter. September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- 1 2 Moghe, Sonia. "Cosby deposition: Quaaludes came from L.A. gynecologist". CNN. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- 1 2 Graham Bowley and Sydney Ember (July 18, 2015). "Bill Cosby, in Deposition, Said Drugs and Fame Helped Him Seduce Women". The New York Times. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
...he presented himself in the deposition as an unapologetic, cavalier playboy, someone who used a combination of fame, apparent concern and powerful sedatives in a calculated pursuit of young women….He admitted to giving young women quaaludes at that time "the same as a person would say have a drink," he said, but not without their knowledge.
- 1 2 Dale, Maryclaire (December 30, 2015). "Bill Cosby charged with sexually assaulting a woman". Associated Press. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Cosby accuser: I had 2 drinks, went blank". CNN. November 24, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- 1 2 Roig-Franzia, Manuel (November 22, 2014). "Bill Cosby's legacy, recast: Accusers speak in detail about sexual-assault allegations". Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ↑ "More Cosby Claims: New Accuser Secretly Told Cops About Unwanted 'Sexual Contact' With Bill — Read The Shocking Police Report". November 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Cosby, Canadian woman settle lawsuit over alleged assault". CBC News. November 8, 2006. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- 1 2 CNN, Library (July 3, 2014). "Bill Cosby Fast Facts". CNN. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ McDonald, Soraya Nadia (October 31, 2014). "Is the world starting to turn against Bill Cosby?". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ Woolf, Nicky. "The Bill Cosby sexual abuse claims – accusation by accusation". The Guardian. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ Fiorillo, Victor (November 17, 2014). "Q&A: New Bill Cosby Accuser Joan Tarshis". Philadelphia. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ↑ Carter, Bill (November 14, 2014). "Cosby Is Off Another Show as Rape Accusations Swirl". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ Leopold, Todd (November 12, 2014). "Rape allegations won't go away for Bill Cosby". CNN. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Woman Details Alleged Cosby Sex Assault". Fox News Channel. June 24, 2005. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ↑ Gould, Martin. "The one woman who Bill Cosby admits he cheated with says 'he drugged and raped me too - and got me PREGNANT'". Daily Mail. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
- ↑ Gorman, Ryan (November 26, 2014). "Cosby mistress claims comedian drugged and raped her, fathered her daughter". AOL News. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
- 1 2 Hughes, Jason (November 18, 2014). "Bill Cosby Is a 'Serial Rapist,' Accuser Joan Tarshis Tells CNN's Don Lemon (Video)". Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ↑ Bueno, Antoinette (November 18, 2014). "Janice Dickinson Details Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Accusations: He Raped Me". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- 1 2 "Lou Ferrigno's wife Carla Ferrigno accuses Bill Cosby of assault; more come forward". Fox News Channel. November 21, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ↑ "Therese Serignese, Florida Nurse, Says Bill Cosby Drugged And Raped Her In 1976". The Huffington Post. November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- ↑ Roig-Franzia, Manuel (November 22, 2014). "Bill Cosby's legacy, recast: Accusers speak in detail about sexual-assault allegations". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ↑ "Playboy bunny claims Bill Cosby tried to kiss, fondle her". Daily News (New York). November 23, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ↑ Bowley, Graham; Manly, Lorne (November 20, 2014). "7th Accuser Joins Claims of Assault by Bill Cosby". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ↑ Charlotte Laws. "Bill Cosby and drugging: My 34-year-old secret". Salon.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Drugged Me. This Is My Story.". Vanity Fair. December 11, 2014.
- ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (November 19, 2014). "Bill Cosby Lawyer Disputes Janice Dickinson's Rape Claim". Variety.
- ↑ Singer, Martin D. "Statement by Martin D. Singer, attorney for Bill Cosby". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby". BillCosby.com. November 17, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ↑ Fisher, Luchina (January 27, 2015). "Bill Cosby Faces New Accuser, Cindra Ladd". Good Morning America via ABC News.
- ↑ Puente, Maria (May 1, 2015). "Cosby accuser aims for criminal charges". USA Today. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
- ↑ Malone, Noreen (July 26, 2015), 'I'm No Longer Afraid': 35 Women Tell Their Stories About Being Assaulted by Bill Cosby, and the Culture That Wouldn't Listen, New York magazine, retrieved July 27, 2015
- ↑ Lopez, German (July 26, 2015), 35 Bill Cosby accusers posed for one defiant, powerful magazine cover, Vox, retrieved July 27, 2015
- ↑ Cosby: The Women Speak, A&E, September 17, 2015, retrieved January 10, 2016
- ↑ Ed Pilkington (September 18, 2015). "Bill Cosby back in the spotlight as 13 alleged victims give TV interviews". The Guardian. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ↑ Puente, Maria (October 24, 2015). "Two more Cosby accusers go public as total nears 60". Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- 1 2 Ellie Shechet. "Reading Bill Cosby: The Wit And Wisdom Of An Accused Serial Rapist". Jezebel.
- ↑ Thistlethwaite, Susan (July 7, 2015), "Bill Cosby: Race, Gender and Serial Rape Denial", The Huffington Post, retrieved September 27, 2015
- 1 2 Whoopi Goldberg changes stance, says for Bill Cosby all signs 'points to guilt', Fox News Channel, July 14, 2015, retrieved September 27, 2015
- ↑ "Plaintiff Rebuts Cosby Allegation of Settlement Breach". The Legal Intelligencer. July 29, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby sex case: Toronto woman speaks to Sun". Toronto Sun. July 8, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ↑ Dale, Maryclaire (July 7, 2015). "Cosby admitted in 2005 to getting sedatives to give to women he sought sex with". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- ↑ Graham Bowley and Sydney Ember (July 20, 2015). "Uncertainty on Whether Cosby Revelations Could Hurt Him in Court". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
In a statement, The Times said it had obtained the transcript legally. "The judge in the case had declined in 2005 to enter a confidentiality order making the depositions confidential so there was no court order sealing the testimony, then or now," it said. (The confidentiality agreement was between the parties to the law suit.) "Once we obtained the transcript, we were free to report on Mr. Cosby's testimony.
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby calls for court sanctions against accuser in sexual assault case". The Guardian. July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby's lawyer: Deposition shouldn't have been released, was 'misinterpreted'". Fox8. July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ↑ Bowley, Graham (July 18, 2015). "Bill Cosby in his deposition said fame and drugs helped him seduce women". The New York Times (New York). Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Brittain, Amy (July 23, 2015). "When Bill Cosby wanted Quaaludes, he turned to this gynecologist". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ staff (July 19, 2015). "Excerpts From Bill Cosby's Deposition in 2005 and 2006". The New York Times (New York). Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Dale, Maryclaire. "Cosby said he got drugs to give women for sex". Associated Press. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ↑ Woolf, Nicky (December 30, 2015). "Bill Cosby cuts a frail figure on a day many thought would never come". The Guardian. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 Kevin R. Steele (December 15, 2015). "Police Criminal Complaint". Montcopa. Mongomery County, PA. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Castillo, Mariano; Hanna, Jason (December 30, 2015). "Bill Cosby arraigned, doesn't enter plea". CNN. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ "The Latest: Bill Cosby Charged With Sexual Assault". ABC News. Associated Press. December 30, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- 1 2 Dale, Maryclaire (December 30, 2015). "Bill Cosby Arraigned on Sex Assault Charge". WPVI Philadelphia, ABC Action News. ABC Inc. WPVI Philadelphia. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ Chokshi, Niraj (December 30, 2015). "'Taste the wine': What prosecutors say Bill Cosby did, in graphic detail". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby arraigned in court, charged with sex offence". CBC News. Associated Press. December 30, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ Chokshi, Niraj (December 30, 2015). "'Taste the wine': What prosecutors say Bill Cosby did, in graphic". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ Bowley, Graham (January 11, 2016). "Bill Cosby’s Lawyers Seek Dismissal of Sexual Assault Charges". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Judge refuses to throw out sex assault case against Cosby". WPVI. February 3, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ Cooper, Aaron (February 3, 2016). "Bill Cosby case: Judge says prosecution can go forward". CNN. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Cosby launches appeal, seeks to halt case". Philadelphia Daily News. February 14, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ Weisensee, Nicole (March 1, 2016). "Bill Cosby Sex Assault Charges: Pennsylvania Court Halts Case". People. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's attorneys want to put 'toothpaste back in the tube'". agency=PA Penn Live. April 14, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Cosby loses appeal bid, criminal case to resume". agency=Philly.com. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Cosby to face criminal sex assault trial". Yahoo News. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
- ↑ "Prosecutors Won't File Charges Against Bill Cosby for Child Molestation". Associated Press. December 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Lili Bernard Files Sexual Assault Charges Against Bill Cosby". The Hollywood Gossip. May 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Will Not Face Charges Over Drug And Rape Allegations Made By Former 'Cosby Show' Actress". Inquisitor. July 1, 2015.
- ↑ "LAPD investigating Bill Cosby's alleged sexual abuse of young model". Fox News Channel. July 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Open Criminal Investigation for Bill Cosby, LAPD Confirms". Good Morning America. July 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Faces Criminal Charges for Alleged Sexual Assault in L.A.". Variety. October 1, 2015.
- ↑ Winton, Richard (December 30, 2015). "Could L.A. be the next place where Bill Cosby faces assault charges?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- 1 2 Ellis, Ralph (January 16, 2015). "Cosby denies assaulting woman at Playboy Mansion in 2008". CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- 1 2 Casarez, Jean; Almasy, Steve (January 6, 2016). "Bill Cosby won't be charged in two sexual assault cases in Los Angeles". CNN. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- ↑ Bowley, Graham (January 6, 2016), "Bill Cosby Inquiries in California to Be Dropped", The New York Times, retrieved January 8, 2016
- ↑ Gardner, Eriq (July 6, 2015). "Bill Cosby Deposition Reveals He Gave Women Quaaludes for Sex". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ McLellan, Lizzy (July 29, 2015). "Plaintiff Rebuts Cosby Allegation of Settlement Breach". The Legal Intelligencer. ALM Publications. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Ehrich Dowd, Kathy; Weisensee Egan, Nicole (July 28, 2015). "Bill Cosby's Original Accuser Andrea Constand Calls Him a 'Narcissist' Who Missed Cues That She's Gay". People. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Carlson, Adam (July 19, 2015). "Bill Cosby Admits and Defends His Extramarital Affairs, Giving Women Drugs, in Newly Released Court Documents". People. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ no by-line (Tribune wire reports) (July 23, 2015). "Cosby lawyers: Release of deposition broke settlement terms". Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois). Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Bowley, Graham (July 18, 2015). "Bill Cosby in Deposition said drugs and fame helped him seduce women". The New York Times (New York, USA). Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Bowley, Graham (July 20, 2015). "on Whether Cosby Revelations Could Hurt Him in Court". The New York Times (New York). Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Mealey's (September 9, 2015). "Judge Denies Cosby's Discovery Motion Over Release Of Sealed Deposition". Lexis Legal News. LexisNexis. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Fiorillo, Victor (December 11, 2015). "Gloria Allred on Bad Men, Feminism, and Leaving Philly Behind". Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby sued for defamation by Janice Dickinson". CNN. May 21, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Accuser Tamara Green Files Defamation Lawsuit". People. December 10, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's Lawyer Slams New Accusations as 'Utter Nonsense'". People. November 20, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Two Other Accusers Joining Tamara Green's Defamation Lawsuit Against Bill Cosby". People. January 5, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's Insurance Company Wants Accusers' Lawsuit Put on Hold". The Wrap. October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ↑ "4 More Women Join Defamation Lawsuit Against Bill Cosby". WABC. November 13, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Sues Seven Of His Accusers For Defamation". The Huffington Post. December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ Ellis, Ralph (December 14, 2015). "Cosby sues 7 accusers for defamation, seeks damages and retractions". CNN. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's wife to be deposed Monday". MassLive. February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Camille Cosby deposed in defamation case, returns next month". Winnipeg Free Press. February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Camille Cosby's 2nd deposition postponed until April 18". Associated Press. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ↑ >"Bill Cosby accusers seek to depose music producer Quincy Jones in abuse case". MassLive. March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ↑ >"Bill Cosby Libel Accusers Want to Depose Quincy Jones, WME". The Hollywood Reporter. March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ↑ >"Judge Grants Bill Cosby Accusers Access to Andrea Constand’s Case File". Variety. March 21, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ↑ "Let us depose Bill Cosby, say Janice Dickinson's lawyers". LA Daily News. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Judge orders Cosby deposition in Janice Dickinson lawsuit". Associated Press. November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's Deposition in Janice Dickinson Defamation Case Scheduled to Take Place on Nov. 23". ET Online. November 11, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Appeals court temporarily halts upcoming Cosby deposition". Associated Press. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Ex-Attorney Marty Singer Plans Legal Action Against Janice Dickinson". Deadline Hollywood. November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's Former Attorney Added to Janice Dickinson's Defamation Lawsuit (Report)". The Hollywood Reporter. November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby’s Ex-Lawyer Dismissed From Janice Dickinson Lawsuit". The Wrap[. February 9, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ↑ "A judge says she won't dismiss model Janice Dickinson's defamation lawsuit against Bill Cosby". Associated Press. March 29, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ↑ Payne, Ed (December 3, 2014). "Woman sues Bill Cosby for alleged sexual assault in 1974, when she was 15". CNN. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Why the New Case Against Bill Cosby Is Different". Time. July 23, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- ↑ BBC NEWS (December 5, 2014). "Bill Cosby: Comic counter-suing over sex allegations". BBC News. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
- ↑ Johnson, Ted (December 4, 2014). "Cosby Attorney Says Accuser Tried to Extort Money Before Filing Suit". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ Greenberg, Alissa (August 5, 2015). "Bill Cosby to Give Deposition in Playboy Mansion Underage Sex Abuse Lawsuit". Time. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ↑ Yahr, Emily (December 14, 2015). "Bill Cosby sues seven of his sexual-assault accusers for defamation". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ↑ "New Cosby Deposition Could Be Unsealed in December". Slate. October 12, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- ↑ "Judy Huth's lawyer wants second deposition of Bill Cosby". Philadelphia Daily News. October 12, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's 2nd deposition in sexual battery case delayed by judge". FOX411. March 30, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Hugh Hefner will be asked to testify in sexual battery suit against Bill Cosby". Daily News (New York). March 30, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby wants child sex abuse claims tossed by judge". New York Daily News. April 14, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Judge rejects Cosby’s bid to dismiss underage sex abuse case". Seattle Times. April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
- 1 2 Parry, Ryan (October 6, 2015). "Bill Cosby is sued over 'sex assault' at Playboy Mansion inside statute of limitation - and faces being quizzed under oath in federal court about model's claims". Daily Mail. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- ↑ Patten, Dominic (February 2, 2016). "Bill Cosby Faces 2nd Deposition In Sexual Assault Case; Another Accuser Drops Suit". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ↑ Silver, Jonathon (October 14, 2015). "Baldwin Borough woman who alleges Bill Cosby drugged and molested her files defamation suit". Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ↑ Ove, Torsten (December 30, 2015). "Baldwin woman defends federal defamation suit against Bill Cosby". The Pittsburg Post-Gazette (Pittsburg, PA). Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ Mandak, Joe (December 29, 2015). "Attorneys for Pittsburgh-area Bill Cosby sex accuser defending defamation lawsuit". The Spectator (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ Kontos, George (January 21, 2016). "Pittsburgh woman's defamation suit against Bill Cosby is thrown out". USA Today (Virginia, USA). Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- ↑ Kontos, George (April 22, 2016). "Pa. accuser appeals dismissal of Cosby lawsuit". USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Alleged rape victim sues Bill Cosby for defamation". Reuters. November 9, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby faces yet another lawsuit: Sammy Davis Jr.'s former lover sues over 'lies' about 1970s rape claims". Daily Mail. December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
- 1 2 "Advocaat van Bill Cosby aangeklaagd". November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby seeks to dismiss AIG insurance lawsuit". Reuters. September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's Motion To Dismiss Is 'Bizarre,' 'Possibly Unique,' Insurer Argues". Lexis Legal News. October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Scores Victory Against Insurance Company". November 13, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Why AIG is paying Bill Cosby's legal costs". March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ↑ Godoy, Jody (December 15, 2015). "Cosby Can't Nix Or Pause AIG Defamation Coverage Suit". Law360. Portfolio Media, Inc. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Lawyer Says She Was Barred from Cosby Show". Courthouse News Service. November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ↑ >"Bill Cosby Accuser Andrea Constand Sues Former D.A. Bruce Castor". News + Opinion. October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ↑ >"Cosby lawyer asked to detail donation, ties to ex-prosecutor". 25News. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ↑ Ellis, Ralph (December 22, 2015). "Bill Cosby sues supermodel Beverly Johnson for defamation". CNN. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ↑ Johnson, Beverley (November 30, 2014). "Bill Cosby Drugged Me. This Is My Story". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Famed model Beverly Johnson says Bill Cosby drugged her". CNN. December 11, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby sues model Beverly Johnson over drugging claim". FOX 23. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby drops defamation case against Beverly Johnson". Associated Press. February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Cosby to Constand: Give me back my money". Philadelphia Daily News. February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Cosby accuser asks judge to void 2006 secrecy pact". Associated Press. April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Now Has 20 Lawyers Defending His Sexual Abuse Cases". April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ "M.E. [Melvin Eugene] The last Angry Cop!". April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
- ↑ Bill Cosby charmed fans in 1990s Denver, November 24, 2014, retrieved December 16, 2015
- ↑ Las Vegan recalls 'chilling' Cosby scene, November 29, 2014, retrieved December 16, 2015
- ↑ Bill Cosby didn't rape me but what he did has always given me the creeps, November 19, 2014, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Bennett, Anita (January 28, 2016). "Malcolm-Jamal Warner Talks Bill Cosby Fallout". Thewrap.com. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ Karimi, Faith (December 19, 2015), Bill Cosby's lawyers fight subpoena against his wife, Camille Cosby, CNN, retrieved December 26, 2015
- ↑ Jones, Feminista (January 9, 2015), "Why Black Women Are Jumping to Bill Cosby's Defense–and Why They Should Stop", Time, retrieved December 26, 2015
- ↑ McDermott, Maeve (July 21, 2015), "Where do the Huxtables stand on Bill Cosby?", USA Today, retrieved December 29, 2015
- ↑ Puente, Maria (September 8, 2015), "Damon Wayans attacks Cosby accusers as 'un-rape-able,' won't back down", USA Today, retrieved December 26, 2015
- ↑ Howard, Adam (December 31, 2015), Eddie Griffin defends Cosby, alleges 'systematic effort to destroy' black male stars, MSNBC, retrieved December 31, 2015
- 1 2 France, Lisa Respers (July 15, 2015), Whoopi Goldberg changes stance on Bill Cosby, CNN, retrieved July 15, 2015
- ↑ France, Lisa Respers (July 15, 2015), 'Cosby Show' co-star Joseph C. Phillips: 'Of course Bill Cosby is guilty', CNN, retrieved July 15, 2015
- ↑ "Asked About Cosby Scandal, Obama Weighs In on a Sexual Violence Discussion". White House. July 8, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ↑ Shear, Michael (July 16, 2015). "Asked About Cosby Scandal, Obama Weighs In on a Sexual Violence Discussion". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Who is Hannibal Buress, and why did he call Bill Cosby a "rapist"?". CBS News. November 18, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ↑ Giles, Matt; Jones, Nate (March 3, 2015). "A Timeline of the Abuse Charges Against Bill Cosby [Updated]". New York. Vulture.com. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ↑ McQuade, Dan (October 17, 2014). "Hannibal Buress on Bill Cosby: You're a Rapist". Philadelphia Magazine. Phillymag.com. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
"He gets on TV, 'Pull your pants up black people, I was on TV in the 80s! I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom!' Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches."
- ↑ Braxton, Greg (November 24, 2014). "Comic Hannibal Buress is low-key on his role in Bill Cosby firestorm". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Why Are Old Assault Claims Against Bill Cosby Back?". CBS News. November 17, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby raped me. Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story?". The Washington Post. November 13, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
* Accompanying video: O'Connor, Erin; McKenna, Ewen (November 13, 2014), "'I will not live in silence anymore' about Bill Cosby", The Washington Post, retrieved January 10, 2016
- ↑ "Tamara Green Talks About Bill Cosby". Newsweek. February 7, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's Lawyer Speaks Out: The Media Vilification Has to Stop". People. November 21, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Lawyer Disputes Janice Dickinson's Rape Claim". Variety. November 19, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ↑ Bill Cosby's new lawyer to Buzzfeed: 'You proceed at your own peril', November 19, 2014, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Jacobo, Julia (December 31, 2015). "Bill Cosby Tweets 'Thank You' to Friends, Family". ABC News.
- ↑ "In NPR Interview, Bill Cosby Declines To Discuss Assault Allegations". NPR. November 15, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Why Did the AP Suppress the Sexual Assault Portion of Its Bill Cosby Interview?". Slate. November 20, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- ↑ Nunez, Mike (November 22, 2014), Bill Cosby to FLORIDA TODAY: I won't mention allegations, Florida Today, retrieved December 6, 2015
- ↑ Ragsdale, Randy. "Cosby name removed from Central State University sign", KIRO TV (July 10, 2015).
- ↑ To Revoke or Not: Colleges That Gave Cosby Honors Face a Tough Question, October 6, 2015, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ BU to Confer Honorary Degree on Bill Cosby, May 2014, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ UA president proposed honorary degree for Bill Cosby, October 24, 2015, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Meet the College Women Who Are Starting a Revolution Against Campus Sexual Assault, September 21, 2014, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Vice President Joe Biden Op-Ed: It's On Us to Stop Campus Sexual Assault, November 9, 2015, retrieved November 17, 2015
- 1 2 3 4 "Brown revokes Bill Cosby's honorary degree". Brown Daily Herald. September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
- 1 2 "Baylor rescinds honorary doctorate given to Bill Cosby in 2003". Waco Trib. October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- ↑ George Washington University Declines to Rescind Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree, November 10, 2015, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Why SMU, Paul Quinn College will not rescind honorary degrees given to Bill Cosby, October 29, 2015, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Despite 'deeply troubling' allegations, Penn will not revoke Cosby's honorary degree, November 6, 2015, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ Penn, Are You Serious About Not Revoking Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree?, November 10, 2015, retrieved November 17, 2015
- ↑ "Massachusetts Colleges Cut Ties With Bill Cosby After Rape Claims". NBC News. November 27, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby Stripped of Honorary Title Given by Navy". The Huffington Post. Associated Press. December 4, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
- ↑ Snyder, Susan (December 1, 2014). "Cosby steps down from Temple board". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
- ↑ Bentley, Rosalind (December 14, 2014). "Spelman suspends Cosby chair in wake of growing sexual assault claims". ajc.com. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ Hutcherson, Kimberly (July 26, 2015). "Spelman College discontinues professorship funded by Cosbys". CNN. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ Friedlander, Whitney (July 8, 2015). "Cos And Effect: Dropped Months Ago By CAA, Bill Cosby Is Un-Repped In Hollywood". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ Isidore, Chris (July 8, 2015). "Bill Cosby statue removed from Walt Disney World". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Smithsonian posts sign telling visitors exhibit featuring Bill Cosby's art collection is not a tribute to comic battling mounting allegations of sex abuse". Daily Mail (London). July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ Knight, Christopher (November 6, 2015). "Bill Cosby art collection: How the National Museum of African Art shot itself in the foot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Cut From Film About Black Stuntmen; Was "Last Project Standing Behind Him", Director Says". Deadline. July 20, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Cosby biographer Mark Whitaker says he was wrong to exclude rape allegations from book". The Washington Post. November 26, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ Walker, Tim (July 23, 2015). "Bill Cosby biography pulled as comedian accused of sexual assaults faces civil suit". The Independent (London). Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby Mural Wiped From Philadelphia After Comedian Tagged as a 'Rapist'". The Wrap. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- ↑ Weill, Kelly (August 28, 2015). "NYU Removes Cosby Name From High School Film Workshop". NYU Local. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
- ↑ Eccher, Marino (August 31, 2015). "Bill Cosby portrait in 'rapeseed' pulled from State Fair". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby's Name Removed From Black Ohio University Building". Associated Press. September 11, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Temple trustees vote next week on naming NBC's Tamron Hall to board seat vacated by Bill Cosby". Associated Press. October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby's honorary degree at Cal Poly Pomona revoked". The Star-Ledger. November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby no longer on Hampton Univ. board of trustees". 13News Now. January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Smithsonian to acknowledge Bill Cosby sex assault allegations at new museum". Philly Voice. March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Marquette University strips Bill Cosby of honorary degree". Fordham Observer. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- 1 2 Nephin, Dan. "F&M revokes Bill Cosby's honorary degree". Lancaster Online. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Marquette University strips Bill Cosby of honorary degree". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- 1 2 Ivie, Devon. "Amherst College Rescinds Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree". Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- ↑ "Board Declines Request to Revoke Cosby's Degree". Oberlin Review. November 13, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby attorney assails Fordham after it rescinds degree". Associated Press. September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ↑ "University of San Francisco Rescinds Bill Cosby Honorary Degree". NBC Bay Area. September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Wilkes University rescinds Cosby's honorary degree". Citizens Voice. October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Lehigh rescinds Bill Cosby's honorary degree". The Brown and White. October 14, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- ↑ Berenson, Tess. "Bill Cosby Loses 2 More Honorary Degrees". Time. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Goucher rescinds Bill Cosby's honorary degree". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ↑ Revocation of Tufts Award to Bill Cosby, Tufts University
- ↑ "Springfield College revokes Bill Cosby's honorary doctorate". MassLive. October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Muhlenberg Rescinds Honorary Degree Awarded to Bill Cosby". Associated Press. October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ↑ "Drexel Revokes Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree". Philadelphia News. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Bryant University Revokes Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree". Go Local Prov News. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Pitt latest university to rescind honorary degree given to Cosby". Philadelphia News. November 13, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- ↑ "N.J. college revokes Bill Cosby's honorary degree". The Star-Ledger. November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ↑ "John Jay College rescinds Bill Cosby's honorary degree". Page Six. November 24, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Swarthmore pulls Cosby's honorary degree". Philadelphia Daily News. December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Boston University Revokes Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree". SBS Boston. December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Occidental College is the latest to revoke Cosby honorary degree". Los Aneglos Times. December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ↑ Statement on Rescinding Honorary Degree, Oberlin College
- ↑ Pennsylvania’s Haverford College rescinds Cosby’s honorary degree, Haverford College
- ↑ Ivie, Devon (November 16, 2015). "37 Universities on the Status of Bill Cosby's Honorary Degrees". Vulture. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Bill Cosby sitcom scrapped by NBC amid growing sexual-assault allegations". Toronto Star. November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ↑ Rhodan, Maya (November 19, 2014). "TV Land Pulls The Cosby Show From Its Lineup". Time. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ↑ TV Land scraps The Cosby Show marathon set for Thanksgiving week. Variety (November 19, 2014). Retrieved November 19, 2014. "(E)pisodes have been pulled immediately for the foreseeable future…TV Land even removed references to The Cosby Show from its website on Wednesday afternoon as the scandal accelerated."
- ↑ "Magic Turns on Cos: ASPiRE Network Cancels Cosby Programming".
- ↑ "Bounce TV Pulls 'Cosby' Reruns, BET's Centric Yanks 'The Cosby Show'".
- ↑ The Cosby Show, Hulu Plus. Retrieved January 19, 2016
- ↑ Csandy, Ashley (March 6, 2015), Stunning, startling ad anchors Ontario's new strategy to combat sexual assault and harassment: WATCH, retrieved March 6, 2015
- ↑ EURWeb (May 26, 2015), Nevada Extends Statute of Limitations Because of Bill Cosby, retrieved May 27, 2015
- ↑ McGhee, Tom (September 15, 2015), Bill Cosby rape allegations spur effort to end Colorado's time limits, retrieved September 15, 2015
- ↑ Anderson, Ja,es (February 11, 2016), Cosby cases prompt Colorado bill extending time for charges, retrieved February 11, 2016
- ↑ Morcos, Christina (January 6, 2016), Republican pushing to revoke Bill Cosby’s presidential medal, retrieved January 6, 2016
- ↑ Kulgren, Ian (February 8, 2016), After Bill Cosby and Brenda Tracy, lawmakers weigh more changes to sexual assault laws, retrieved February 9, 2016
- ↑ "Senator Leyva Introduces 'Justice for Victims Act'". California Government. January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Alleged Cosby Victims Testify Against the Rape Law That Failed Them". the Vice. April 14, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Howard, Adam (January 14, 2015). "Cosby's history of 'Spanish Fly' jokes comes back to haunt him". MSNBC. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ↑ Cusack, Joan (August 1, 1991). "CHILDHOOD by Bill Cosby". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Cosby jokes: 'You have to be careful about drinking around me'". MSNBC Daily.
- ↑ Richard Warnica (January 9, 2015). "Bill Cosby makes a joke about the sexual assault allegations against him during his London, Ontario, show". National Post. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ↑ Bill Cosby Allegedly Tried to Get Wendy Williams Fired for Mentioning the Rape Accusations in 1990, November 21, 2014, retrieved November 17, 2015
- 1 2 "Bill Cosby Reveals Tactics for Sleeping With Women, Admits Paying Hush Money in New Documents". The Hollywood Reporter. July 18, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- 1 2 "Ex-NBC employee Frank Scotti claims Bill Cosby paid off women, invited young models to dressing room as he stood guard". Daily News (New York). November 23, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Ex-NBC employee says he sent money to women for Bill Cosby". Today Show. November 24, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations. |
- Viral video referencing the sexual assault allegations by comedian Hannibal Buress, October 2014
- Excerpts From Bill Cosby's Deposition in the Andrea Constand case