Nine additional women have come forward to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual assault, claiming that he exploited his significant power, fame, and influence to victimize them. A lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in a federal court in Nevada, stating that these women were individually subjected to drugging and assault between approximately 1979 and 1992. The incidents took place in various locations, including homes, dressing rooms, and hotels in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. Among the allegations is a woman who asserts that Cosby, posing as her acting mentor, enticed her from New York to Nevada, where he drugged her in a hotel room using what he had presented as non-alcoholic sparkling cider, subsequently perpetrating rape.
Bill Cosby, the 85-year-old former star of the popular TV show “The Cosby Show,” has faced a multitude of serious accusations from over 60 women, including rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. Despite the numerous allegations, Cosby has consistently denied any involvement in sexual crimes. Notably, he became the first prominent figure to stand trial and be convicted during the #MeToo movement. Consequently, he served nearly three years in a state prison close to Philadelphia until his conviction was overturned by a higher court, leading to his release in 2021.
Earlier this year, a woman was awarded $500,000 by a Los Angeles jury after she claimed that Bill Cosby sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 16 years old in 1975.
The recent lawsuit in Nevada emerged shortly after Governor Joe Lombardo signed a bill that eliminated the previous two-year time limit for adults to file sexual abuse cases. This change, known as a “lookback law,” has prompted similar legal actions in other states as well.
One of the plaintiffs, Lise-Lotte Lublin, who is originally from Nevada, had actively advocated for the removal of the time limit. She had previously accused Cosby of drugging her with spiked drinks and raping her at a Las Vegas hotel in 1989.
The Associated Press maintains a policy of not disclosing the identities of individuals who report being sexually assaulted, unless they decide to come forward publicly.
Lotte-Lublin expressed her sentiments in a statement published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, stating, “For years I have fought for survivors of sexual assault and today is the first time I will be able to fight for myself.” She expressed gratitude for the new law that allows her to pursue legal action against Bill Cosby, her alleged assailant. Lotte-Lublin sees this as the beginning of her quest for justice.
In California, a former Playboy model filed a lawsuit against Cosby on June 1, invoking a new state law that suspends the statute of limitations for sex abuse claims. The model alleges that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her and another woman at his home in 1969.
Cosby’s publicist, Andrew Wyatt, criticized these laws in a statement, suggesting that the surge of civil suits is driven by the women’s desire for attention and greed rather than seeking justice for victims. Wyatt emphasized Cosby’s citizenship and implied that the judges and lawmakers are permitting these lawsuits to overwhelm the legal system.
Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s publicist, expressed a firm stance on the matter, stating, “From this day forward, we will not continue to allow these women to parade various accounts of an alleged allegation against Mr. Cosby anymore without vetting them in the court of public opinion and inside of the courtroom.” Wyatt emphasized the need for thorough examination and validation of the allegations.
In the most recent lawsuit, the women involved assert that Cosby employed his substantial power, fame, and influence, using feigned interest in assisting them or advancing their careers as a pretext to isolate and sexually assault them. The lawsuit alleges a pattern of such behavior by Cosby.
