On Monday, five women filed a lawsuit against disgraced actor Bill Cosby under New York State’s new Adult Survivors Act – which took effect on Thanksgiving Day. The new law looked to establish a “one-year window for survivors to bring claims against abusers without the limits of the statute of limitations.
The lawsuit against Bill Cosby lists five female victims – Lili Bernard, Eden Tirl, Jewel Gittens, Jennifer Thompson, and Cindra Ladd. It also lists NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Inc., and The Carsey-Werner Company, LLC – alongside Bill Cosby – as the defendants in the new lawsuit.
Cosby is facing new allegations of sexual assault, battery, infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment – while the other defendants are being accused of negligence. One of the allegations dates back to 1969, with the rest of the sexual assault allegations occurring in the late-1980s and early-1990s.
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The new lawsuit comes after Bill Cosby was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 3-10 years in prison in 2018 – he was found guilty of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand. He went on to spend nearly three years in state prison before his conviction was overturned – citing a deal he made with a prosecutor.
Bill Cosby has been a free man since June 2021, but he is now being accused of similar accusations. The 85-year-old former comedian ‘continues to vehemently deny all allegations waged against him and looks forward to defending himself in court,” according to a statement released by Cosby’s representatives.
In the lawsuit, Cindra Ladd is accusing Bill Cosby of raping her in a 1969 incident. Lili Bernard and Eden Tirl, who both had small roles on The Cosby Show in the late-1980s and early-1990s, accused Cosby of using ‘his power, fame, and prestige to misuse his enormous power in such a nefarious, horrific way.’
In 1990, Cosby allegedly arranged a meeting with Bernard to help “advance her career” – at which point she was drugged, undressed, and raped without consent. Tirl denied several attempts to get her in Cosby’s dressing room before being forced – at which point she was raped against her own will.
Bill Cosby Denies Allegations and Accuses the Plaintiffs of Money-Grabbing
Much like he has for the past decade, Bill Cosby is denying all allegations against him and is looking forward to defending himself in court. He’s confident that the courts will see right through this case and he will be relieved of any wrongdoing. On the other hand, the victims are confident in getting a conviction.
Nonetheless, Cosby is writing this off as another opportunity to taint his legacy and cash in. In a statement, Cosby’s representatives were convinced that the women were having a hard time accepting the fact that Cosby was vindicated of his previous conviction.
“For the record, these alleged accusers were once represented by Ms. [Gloria] Allred and were a part of a parade of accusers back in 2014 through 2016. As we have always stated, and now America can see, this isn’t about justice for victims of alleged sexual assault, it’s ALL ABOUT MONEY,” said Cosby’s reps.
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As of right now, there’s no timetable for a trial, but we can expect more information to be released in the coming days and weeks. “We believe that the courts, as well as the court of public opinion, will follow the rules of law and relieve Mr. Cosby of these alleged accusations,” added Cosby’s reps in a statement.
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