Bill Cosby sued by five women for sexual abuse, assault and battery under New York Adult Survivors Act
Lawsuit was filed in New York under the state’s one-year window for adults to make sexual abuse complaints
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Bill Cosby has been sued by five women who have long claimed that the comedian sexually assaulted them early in their careers.
The lawsuit has been filed more than a year after the 85-year-old was released from a Pennsylvania prison in 2021 when his 2018 sexual assault conviction was overturned, according to The Associated Press.
Earlier this year, a jury in Los Angeles awarded $500,000 to a woman who said that Mr Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was a teenager.
The lawsuit was filed in New York on Monday under the state’s Adult Survivors Act, which allows a one-year window for adults to file sexual abuse complaints.
The women - Lili Bernard, Eden Tirl, Jewel Gittens, Jennifer Thompson and Cindra Ladd - allege that they were abused or assaulted by Mr Cosby after meeting him on set or through the entertainment industry between the 1960s and the 1990s.
The lawsuit also claims that NBC and television companies Kaufman Astoria Studios and Carsey-Werner Television are “culpable and liable” for the alleged sexual assaults.
The Cosby Show, in which Mr Cosby starred aired on NBC from 1984 to 1992, was produced by Carsey-Werner and was filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios.
“It was well-known that Bill Cosby would regularly take young women into his dressing room, and when you read the complaint, you’ll see there were instances where staff saw this happening and even encouraged the plaintiff to submit,” said lawyer Jordan Rutsky, who represents all five women.
“This was not a hidden secret that Bill Cosby was doing these things. It was just accepted.”
The lawsuit states that in some cases Mr Cosby drugged the women with alcohol or pills before allegedly assaulting them.
Andrew Wyatt, a spokesperson for Mr Cosby, said that the “accusers have resurfaced to file a frivolous civil lawsuit” against the entertainer.
Mr Cosby spent nearly three years behind bars before his conviction was overturned by Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, which ruled that he had incriminated himself when he gave evidence in a deposition, believing he had been granted immunity from prosecution.
The trial judge and an appeals court had previously found no evidence of any immunity.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments