NEWS: Bill Cosby is charged with sexually assaulting a woman - UPDATED

Janice Dickinson accuses Bill Cosby of sexual assault
Janice Dickinson has accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her in 1982.
Cosby has been the subject of a number of sexual assault allegations, though his lawyers have again denied all claims after they resurfaced in recent weeks.
 

 

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday (November 18), Dickinson claimed that Cosby assaulted her after she had asked for a pill, as she had been suffering from stomach pains.
"After dinner, in my room he'd given me wine and a pill," Dickinson said.
"The next morning I woke up and I wasn't wearing my pyjamas and I remember before I passed out that I had been sexually assaulted by this man."
She added: "Before I woke up in the morning, the last thing I remember was Bill Cosby in a patchwork robe, dropping his robe and getting on top of me."
Of why she has come forward now, Dickinson said: "I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do, and it happened to me and this is the true story."



Dickinson added that details of the alleged incident had been outlined in a draft of her 2002 memoir No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel, but pressure from Cosby and his lawyers forced their removal.
Cosby has denied all accusations against him and has not been criminally charged. He settled a civil suit in 2006 over an alleged incident two years previous.
His lawyer Marty Singer responded to the latest accusations, saying: "Janice Dickinson's story accusing Bill Cosby of rape is a lie.
"There is a glaring contradiction between what she is claiming now for the first time and what she wrote in her own book and what she told the media back in 2002."


He continued: "Ms Dickinson did an interview with the New York Observer in September 2002 entitled 'Interview With a Vamp' completely contradicting her new story about Mr Cosby.
"That interview a dozen years ago said 'she didn't want to go to bed with him and he blew her off'. Her publisher HarperCollins can confirm that no attorney representing Mr Cosby tried to kill the alleged rape story (since there was no such story) or tried to prevent her from saying whatever she wanted about Bill Cosby in her book.
"The only story she gave 12 years ago to the media and in her autobiography was that she refused to sleep with Mr Cosby and he blew her off.
"Documentary proof and Ms Dickinson's own words show that her new story about something she now claims happened back in 1982 is a fabricated lie."
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BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — A Florida woman who came forward Thursday became the fourth in recent weeks to say Bill Cosby gave her pills that made her feel groggy then forced himself on her sexually.

Therese Serignese, now 57 and a nurse in Boca Raton, said the television icon raped her in 1976 when she was 19 years old following a show in Las Vegas. She said she went backstage and when the two were alone, Cosby gave her two pills and a glass of water, saying, "Take these."

"My next memory is clearly feeling drugged, being without my clothes, standing up," she said. "Bill Cosby was behind me, having sex with me."

Cosby spokesman David Brokaw did not respond to a request for comment. Cosby's lawyer, in a statement released Sunday, criticized previous "decades-old, discredited allegations," stating that "the fact that they are being repeated does not make them true."

Cosby made no mention of the allegations Thursday during a benefit performance in the Bahamas for a women's service organization. He stuck to his routine, including stories about his childhood growing up in the projects of Philadelphia. There were few empty seats in the house and a few people gave him an ovation when he finished his set.

Some in the audience said the allegations against Cosby remain unproven and they added that his performance was a benefit for what they felt was a good cause.

Dozens of Cosby's television and comedy colleagues have either refused to comment or not returned telephone calls from The Associated Press in recent days.

The allegations by Serignese and three others are similar:

— Barbara Bowman, an aspiring actress, said in a Nov. 13 Washington Post column that she was 17 and blacked out after Cosby drugged her, waking up to find herself in panties and a man's T-shirt with the television icon looming over her. She said she was certain she was raped.

— Joan Tarshis on Monday said she was a 19-year-old who wanted to be a comedy writer when Cosby gave her a drink and forced her to perform oral sex on him.

— Janice Dickinson on Tuesday told "Entertainment Tonight" that Cosby had given her red wine and a pill when they were together in a Lake Tahoe, California, hotel room in 1982. Cosby's lawyer, Martin Singer, said in a letter to the AP that Dickinson's charges were "false and outlandish."

In addition, Tamara Green wrote an opinion piece Wednesday for "Entertainment Tonight." In 2005, Green publicly claimed that she was drugged and Cosby attempted to assault her; Cosby's lawyers have previously denied they knew each other.

Cosby attorney Marty Singer issued statements Thursday denying allegations made by three other women. The women spoke to other media outlets, and their names and accounts have not been published by the AP.

Singer called one of the women "the latest example of people coming out of the woodwork with fabricated or unsubstantiated stories about my client."

"People coming out of nowhere with this sort of inane yarn is what happens in a media-driven feeding frenzy," he said of another of the women.

Serignese, whose claims Singer did not address, says after the alleged rape, she willingly stayed with Cosby in Las Vegas for some time but could not specify how long or whether the two had sex again during their time together. The two also maintained sporadic contact for years after the alleged rape.

The 77-year-old television star's attempt at a career comeback has been collapsing in recent days as the abuse allegations resurfaced. Netflix said this week it was postponing a comedy special it had planned with Cosby to air later this month; NBC said it was stopping development of a sitcom with him and TV Land pulled reruns of "The Cosby Show" off the air. Also, High Point University in North Carolina has removed Cosby from its board of advisers, the High Point Enterprise reported.

Serignese said she filed a statement with Philadelphia police in January 2005 detailing her allegations and provided a copy of that statement to The Associated Press. The AP could not confirm Thursday that a report had been filed with the Philadelphia police department. She had agreed to testify on behalf of Andrea Constand, a Pennsylvania woman who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Cosby and settled before the case when to trial.

In an interview with the AP on Thursday, Serignese said she was standing in a Hilton gift shop when she felt someone approach her, put his arm around her and say, "Will you marry me?" When she turned around, it was Cosby. She said they had a friendly conversation and he invited her to the show.

Afterward, she said she was escorted to the green room, where she said the rape took place.

Serignese said she returned to the hotel sometime after the rape and stayed with Cosby for numerous nights, though she said she couldn't remember precisely when or for how long. She said she also cannot remember if they had sex again, but recalled other details, including an expansive penthouse suite with a sunken living room, pinball machine and Miles Davis records littered on the floor. She said she eventually thought she might be pregnant and Cosby told her to leave.

Several years later around 1980 or 1981, she said, Cosby invited her to Lake Tahoe, saying he wanted to give her Louis Vuitton luggage, but she declined. Years after that, she said, she reached out to him when he was performing in the Detroit area, where she said she went to his hotel room after the show. She said he had encouraged her to go back to school and could not remember whether the two had sex.

Her last contact with Cosby, she said, was in 1996. She had been badly hurt in a car accident and moved to Florida to live with a sister who reached out to the comedian seeking financial support. He asked to speak with Serignese, she said, and yelled at her, asking why she was calling him after so many years.

Serignese said Cosby sent her $10,000 via Western Union. A couple days later, she said she received a second payment of $5,000 from his management company, the William Morris Agency. She provided a letter from the management company signed by William Morris agent Tom Illius who represented Bill Cosby at the time. Illius died in 2011.

She said Constand's attorneys agreed to represent her but she decided not to sue. An attorney involved in the civil case could not comment because of the settlement's confidentiality clause.

"There's no DNA. There's no evidence. There was no cameras. There's no videotaping back then. There's no proof," she said. "It's just my word against Bill Cosby."

Source

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The comedian spoke to Florida Today before his sold-out comedy show on Friday, November 21.


"I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn't have to answer to innuendos," he said.
"People should fact-check. People shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to innuendos."
Cosby, whose lawyer issued a statement earlier this week, also spoke about the fact that money had been offered to guests who would disrupt the comedian's show.
He said: "The thing is, these people are prodding and pushing people and asking people to have a frat house mentality.



"Now suppose someone brings a weapon or decided to do more foolishness."
He then added: "When you go to a civil rights march or something like that, at least there are meetings and some organization to it and people understand how to behave.
"There may be people coming to the show that don't know exactly what to do; there is no organization to it all."
Cosby has had several allegations of rape made against him over the past few weeks, from a number of women who claim the comedian sexually assaulted them over the years.
Model Janice Dickinson is among those making allegations against the 77-year-old.

Source

This is really disturbing but at the same time it's hard to dismiss the many victims claims as well... It's hard to believe anything at this point. 

Bill Cosby breaks silence to ask black media for impartial reporting
Bill Cosby has spoken publicly to the media for the first time since facing numerous sexual assault allegations.
The actor told Page Six that he would not be addressing the allegations, but that he thinks the African-American media should remain impartial when reporting on them.


"Let me say this," he said. "I only expect the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that you have to go in with a neutral mind."
The comedian added that he has been advised not to speak to reporters about the ongoing allegations, which span four decades.
However, he did reveal that his wife of more than 50 years, Camille, is standing by him through the investigation.
"Love and the strength of womanhood," he said. "Let me say it again, love and the strength of womanhood. And, you could reverse it, the strength of womanhood and love."
He ended the conversation by saying: "They don't want me talking to the media."
The Los Angeles Police Department last week launched an investigation into one of the allegations made against Cosby.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday declined to file any charges against Bill Cosby after a woman recently claimed the comedian molested her around 1974.

The rejection of a child sexual abuse charge by prosecutors came roughly 10 days after the woman, Judy Huth, met with Los Angeles police detectives for 90 minutes.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office rejected filing a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child under the age of 18 because the statute of limitations had passed.

Days before Huth spoke to police, she accused Cosby in a civil lawsuit of forcing her to perform a sex act on him in a bedroom of the Playboy Mansion when she was 15 years old. Cosby's attorney said that Huth attempted to extort $250,000 from the comedian before she sued and that she'd attempted to sell her story to a tabloid a decade ago.

Cosby is seeking a dismissal of Huth's lawsuit, arguing it is blocked by the statute of limitations.

An email message sent to Huth's attorney, Gloria Allred, was not immediately returned. Cosby's attorney, Marty Singer, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Source

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Family unit. The day after Camille Cosby released a statement defending her husband Bill Cosby, the legendary comedian's daughter Evin did the same on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
"He is the FATHER you thought you knew. The Cosby Show was my today's tv reality show. Thank you. That's all I would like to say ," the 38-year-old told Access Hollywood in an exclusive statement.
Evin also took to her Facebook on Monday to express support for her family. "Go Mom!!" the Hollywood scion wrote alongside a screengrab of trending Twitter topics. "Trending!"
Cosby's wife became a trending topic on the social media platform after she released a statement of strong support for her husband despite recent allegations. "I met my husband, Bill Cosby, in 1963, and we were married in 1964," the statement read. "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, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend. He is the man you thought you knew."
Evin also took to her public Facebook page on Monday, Dec. 15, to address claims made against her father. "Rape is a serious allegation and it is suppose to be taken VERY seriously but so is Falsely accusing someone," she wrote. "When someone rapes a person they go to prison. THAT should also happen to the person that has wrongfully accused an innocent victim. They are not ONLY destroying innocent people's life they are ALSO making it hard for the MEN and Women to find justice when they have been raped."
Their words come after more than 20 women, including '80s supermodels Beverly Johnson and Janice Dickinson, have come forward publicly accusing the comedian of drugging them in the past.
Evin, personally, expressed skepticism about the women and their recollections from the alleged incidents. "Drugged- you can remember the whole damn day but you were drugged? Just sayin," she wrote in another post. "Memory- you can remember you looked at (allegedly) eachother, people were starring allegedly remembering your home address allegedly the name you called him allegedly But you were allegedly drugged."
Evin also used her Facebook to thank those who've stood by her father as he's currently embroiled in scandal. "I would like to thank EVERYONE that has been sharing, voicing and putting their beautiful positive energy out there for me and my family," she wrote on the site.
"There will always be jealous, vengeful and crazy people out there to break anyone down. Everyday we wake up and appreciate the love and support from everyone. There's more positive in life then we think. It's the BS that can be overwhelming. We keep fighting each day. The challenges in life can only make us stronger. The ones that are angry can't live as easy as the ones that can love, RESPECT and not to find the easy way out by making FALSE accusations. It's a shame how some people sit behind the computer waiting for bad things to happen to someone. Isn't it easier to be happy? And to want the best for someone that has done such great things in life? It could be a friend, a family or a pet.... Just be HAPPY! It's waaaaay easier. Thank you again!," she continued. "Thank you Jill Scott and Faizon Love!! I would also like say THANK YOU for the all the other intelligent people that know what this is! We are standing strong! Xoxo- Evin."
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class="headline" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1419115401512_1767" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 35px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 300; line-height: 42px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-right: 40px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Bill Cosby Attorney Says CNN Decided Not to Use Interview Challenging Beverly Johnson AccusationAttorney for Bill Cosby, Martin Singer, has fired off a heated legal letter to CNN accusing it of a smear campaign against the famous comedian.
In the letter to CNN president Jeffrey Zucker, Singer said that CNN decided not to use an interview with Beverly Johnson’s live-in boyfriend from 2006-2009, Mark Burk, because he didn’t corroborate her story of being drugged by the “Cosby Show” star for an upcoming special planned by the cable news network.
“We continue to be shocked by CNN’s ongoing refusal to investigate and run balanced stories about my client,” Singer wrote in the letter obtained by TMZ.
“While airing untested stories from accusers who have seemingly been subject to little or no vetting,” Singer continued, “CNN takes the opposite approach and with anyone who comes forward with information undermining accusers’ claims or with relevant information supporting Mr. Cosby.”
According to Singer, CNN reporters interviewed Burk, who told them that Johnson had never made a negative comment about Cosby and even said she admired the TV star and saw him as a mentor during the time they lived together. Singer accuses the CNN reporters of trying to “manipulate and coerce” Burk into saying statements that supported Johnson’s accusations. And when he wouldn’t corroborate Johnson’s account of events with Cosby, the reporters began attacking Burk and his background. Burk offered to send supporting documents for his statements, but CNN ultimately decided not to use his interview.
“This reckless approach to ‘journalism’ is outrageous,” the attorney wrote. “Accusers are being given a national platform by CNN without first exercising the most rudimentary journalistic investigation as to their claims and motivations. In contrast, CNN disregards and attacks sources with anything positive to say about my client or with relevant information undermining allegations that have been made.”
CNN representatives have not responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
In early December, Johnson came forward with accusations that Cosby drugged her during an audition for “The Cosby Show” in the mid-80s in an essay for Vanity Fair. The supermodel said that she was able to fight back, which caused the comedian to place her in a taxi home before any type of possible assault could occur.
Johnson is just one of more than 20 women who have come forward with accusations of being drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby.
In the wake of the mounting allegations against the 77-year-old comedian, Singer released a statement saying, “The new, never-before-heard claims from women who have come forward in the past two weeks with unsubstantiated, fantastical stories about things they say occurred 30, 40, or even 50 years ago have escalated far past the point of absurdity.”
Since the allegations against Cosby surfaced, NBC has abandoned plans to develop a comedy that would have starred Cosby, while Netflix has postponed a comedy special featuring the comedian. Also, several shows on Cosby’s standup tour have been canceled.Source

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Katherine McKee, 65, told the New York Daily News her story, joining several women who've accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them, including models Janice Dickinson and Beverly Johnson.
McKee, a former Vegas showgirl and actress who partied with Davis' Rat Pack crew in the '60s, claims she was attacked after Cosby invited her to a party when she stayed in Detroit after one of Davis' shows so she could visit family.
McKee said she and Cosby had been friends for eight years and she had appeared on The Bill Cosby Show in 1971. "He was a buddy. He knew I was Sammy's girl," she said, explaining that she felt comfortable accepting his invitation.
McKee said Cosby asked her to get some ribs from a local restaurant and then pick him up at his hotel. “I remember I walked in the door [to his hotel room], and he had a robe and cap on," she recalled. "He took the ribs from my hands and just grabbed me.
“He spun me around, pulled my panties down and just took it. We were still standing at the door when he attacked me,” she told the newspaper. “It was so fast and so shocking and so unbelievable."
McKee said she and Cosby never spoke of the attack, and she did not tell Davis. She remained quiet until a recent wave of sexual assault claims against the comedian "flushed it out."
During the past two months, Cosby has been accused of sexually assaulting more than 20 women over a period spanning several decades but has not been criminally charged. He has remained mostly silent about the allegations, aside from brief comments to a New York Post reporter, to whom he said some media outlets should approach the issue with a "neutral mind." The comedian is currently on a live stand-up tour, although multiple tour dates have been canceled in recent weeks.
Cosby's attorney, Martin Singer, has denied the sexual assault claims and questioned the accusers' credibility.
Cosby's daughter Evin defended her father on Dec. 16 as "the father you thought you knew." The statement followed her mother's statement the previous day, insisting that the comedian "is the man you thought you knew."
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Bill Cosby reportely hires private investigators to dig up dirt on accusers


Bill Cosby has hired a battalion of private investigators to dig up dirt on his many accusers, The New York Post has learned.
The comedian, fighting an onslaught of accusations that he sexually assaulted more than two dozen women over many years, is paying six-figure fees to private investigators for information that might discredit his alleged victims.
Multiple sources confirmed that Cosby, through his Hollywood attorney Martin Singer, is implementing a scorched-earth strategy in which anything negative in his accusers’ pasts is fair game.
At least one Glendale, Calif.-based firm with a half-dozen former LAPD detectives on staff is muckraking for Cosby, a source said.
“If you’re going to say to the world that I did this to you, then the world needs to know, ‘What kind of person are you? Who is this person that’s saying it?’ ” Cosby told his legal and public-relations team at a recent meeting, according to an insider who was present.
Discussing supermodel Beverly Johnson’s claim that Cosby spiked her cappuccino during a visit to his home in the 1980’s the source said, “You mean you never reported it to the police? You never tell anyone?”
The source continued: “The strategy isn’t new and it’s quite simple: You say I’m a bad guy, well, let’s see what gives you the right to throw a stone at my house when your home is also made of glass.”
Another source confirmed the alleged legal strategy noting that it has already worked to some degree.
“They were able to find out information about Beverly Johnson’s boyfriend who said she only had good things to say about Cosby. We found out that Beverly never told her live-in lover of several years what she’s now telling the media and we found that to be strange,” the source noted.
The insider also said they’ve dug up information on another accuser – Katherine McKee, a onetime girlfriend of the late Sammy Davis Jr. who said Cosby raped her in the 1970's.Investigators uncovered internet posts in which McKee wrote glowingly of Cosby and an interview in which she said she is “used to lying.”
Singer would not address the hiring of private detectives.
“You [the media] don’t need private investigators to find out information about the accusers. A simple Google search will obtain the information,” he said.
Source
class="headline" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1419892102692_1737" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 35px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 300; line-height: 42px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-right: 40px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Bill Cosby Hires ‘Battalion of Private Investigators’ to Discredit Accusers Embattled comedian Bill Cosby has reportedly hired a legion of private investigators to look into the backgrounds of his many accusers.
Cosby “is paying six-figure fees to private investigators for information that might discredit his alleged victims,” according to a report published on the New York Post website Sunday.
The story goes on to say that multiple sources have confirmed the television legend, through his Hollywood attorney Martin Singer, “is implementing a scorched-earth strategy in which anything negative in his accusers’ pasts is fair game.”
The article was written by Stacy Brown, the same journalist who one of Cosby’s other lawyers accused of duping the star in a telephone conversation earlier this month. During the call, Cosby reportedly told Brown he expected “the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism” by approaching the story with a “neutral mind.”
“Mr. Brown did not indicate that he was interviewing Mr. Cosby for publication, did not say that he was reporting for the New York Post, and did not tell Mr. Cosby that the conversation was being recorded,” New York-based attorney John P. Schmitt wrote in a statement issued to TheWrap on Dec. 15. “In a discussion of journalistic standards, Mr. Brown failed to adhere to the most basic standards of his profession,” the statement continued.
According to Schmitt, Cosby was under the impression that Brown, a freelance journalist, was speaking to him on behalf of an African-American news outlet, not the New York Post.
The comedian has been accused of raping, sexually assaulting or drugging more than 20 women. His interview with Brown was one of the only times he broken his silence since the allegations began mounting in recent weeks.
Attorney Singer has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment. But the lawyer previously released a statement saying: “The new, never-before-heard claims from women who have come forward in the past two weeks with unsubstantiated, fantastical stories about things they say occurred 30, 40, or even 50 years ago have escalated far past the point of absurdity.”
Since the latest allegations against Cosby surfaced, NBC has abandoned plans to develop a comedy that would have starred Cosby, while Netflix postponed a comedy special featuring the comedian. Also, several shows on Cosby’s standup tour have been canceled.Source
class="headline" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1419800317178_1800" style="font-size: 35px; font-weight: 300; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; line-height: 42px; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-right: 40px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Judd Apatow Rips Bill Cosby: ‘Guys Who Rape a Lot Aren’t Cool’

Producer-director Judd Apatow used Twitter to blast Bill Cosby on Friday after first calling out two Canadian venues where the comedian, accused of rape by multiple alleged victims, is scheduled to perform in January.
“Are you really going to let Bill Cosby perform on your stage January 7?” Apatow tweeted at Toronto’s Centre in the Square.
“You too @BudGardens Jan 8?,” he wrote to another venue. “Is Cosby only popular in Ontario Canada at this point? Do people still find him delightful after 30 accusers?”
The venues’ Twitter accounts have yet to respond to Apatow’s question, though many other users have.
Twitter user “woofmachine” asked Apatow whether it was fair to prematurely judge Cosby, pointing out that most people are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, whereas the comedian hasn’t even been charged with a crime.
“[Cosby] should speak publicly about how false this all is,” Apatow replied.
The “Knocked Up” director called for “30 alibis” in reference to the dozens of women who have accused Cosby of rape, drugging or sexual assault over the course of several decades, with many of them only coming forward in recent weeks.
Apatow, who recently called out the media for its coverage of the Sony hack, is well known for voicing his opinions on social media. But user “mikeandrewb” wanted to know why the director is “obsessed” with talking about Cosby in particular.
“I guess it’s because guys who rape a lot aren’t cool,” Apatow responded.
As allegations against Cosby have mounted in recent months, his public profile has deteriorated. Netflix pulled its stand-up comedy special, TVLand has yanked reruns of “The Cosby Show” and many of his scheduled performances have been postponed or altogether canceled.
But the website for the Toronto venue still lists Cosby as performing on Jan. 7. So, too, does Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario.
Neither venue has responded to TheWrap‘s request for comment, but Centre in the Square did address similar concerns back on Nov. 24 in a blog post called “Why Isn’t The Centre Cancelling the Cosby Show?”
“This is a rental show,” the post said, “and CITS is contractually obligated to move forward with the show unless it is cancelled by the external promoter.
“While we may personally share concerns raised by the community,” the post continued, “if The Centre forces a cancellation of this rental show… the Centre would need to pay any guarantee fee contracted to Mr. Cosby… compensate the promoter for any losses… and… refund patrons. For these reasons we will continue to discuss options with the promoter.”
Neither Apatow nor Cosby have responded to TheWrap’s request for comment, either, but you can view Apatow’s Twitter exchanges below:
so @Centre_Square – are you really going to let Bill Cosby perform on your stage January 7? — Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) December 27, 2014@JuddApatow @Centre_Square and ur obsession is because…?— Michael Andrew B. (@mikeandrewb) December 27, 2014“@mikeandrewb: @JuddApatow @Centre_Square and ur obsession is because…?” I guess it’s because guys who rape a lot aren’t cool. — Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) December 27, 2014@JuddApatow @Centre_Square innocent until Proven— scott gowdy (@woofmachine) December 27, 2014“@woofmachine: @JuddApatow @Centre_Square innocent until Proven”. He should speak publicly about how false this all is. 30 alibis. — Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) December 27, 2014You too @BudGardens Jan 8? Is Cosby only popular in Ontario Canada at this point? Do people still find him delightful after 30 accusers?— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) December 27, 2014@JuddApatow @BudGardens well at least the heckling would be entertaining? — Jim (@deluded_jim) December 27, 2014“@deluded_jim: @JuddApatow @BudGardens well at least the heckling would be entertaining?” One can only hope Cosby will need that skill now.— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) December 27, 2014
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Keshia Knight Pulliam responds to Bill Cosby allegations after Apprentice exit
Keshia Knight Pulliam has responded to multiple sexual assault allegations made against Bill Cosby, following her departure from The Celebrity Apprentice.
The ex-Cosby Show star was fired by Donald Trump in the NBC show's season premiere, in part because she refused to call Cosby for financial support.
Knight Pulliam subsequently explained on NBC's Today that she had not actually spoken to Cosby when Celebrity Apprentice was filmed over a year ago.
"I know The Cosby Show is in reruns, and everyone thinks that we're this family that has dinner every Friday night," she explained. "But the reality was I hadn't spoken to Mr Cosby. 
"I felt that it would be tactless, very rude to call someone and be like, 'Hey, so, let me have some money right now'."
Knight Pulliam also addressed allegations levelled against Cosby by Janice Dickinson, Beverly Johnson and several other women.
"What I can say is this: I wasn't there," Knight Pulliam said on Today. "No one was there except for the two people who know exactly what happened. All I can speak to is the man that I know and I love."


She went on to say: "The fact that he's been such an example, you can't take away from the great that he has done.
"You know, the amount… the millions and millions of dollars that he has given back to colleges and education, and just what he did with The Cosby Show and how groundbreaking that was."
Knight Pulliam later reminded Today's Savannah Guthrie that Cosby is still facing "allegations", rather than charges.
"You know, it's very much been played out in the court of public opinion," she added. 
"But we're still in America, where ultimately you're innocent until proven guilty. I wasn't there. That's just not the man I know. So I can't speak to it."


Cosby has denied all allegations of sexual assault through his lawyer.
The scandal has led to an NBC sitcom and a Netflix comedy special being shelved.
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itemprop="headline" style="font-family: ProximaNova-Light, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 1.11111em; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); word-wrap: break-word; letter-spacing: -1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Donald Trump defends Bill Cosby references in Celebrity ApprenticeDonald Trump has defended references to embattled comedian Bill Cosby in Sunday's (January 4) season premiere of The Celebrity Apprentice.
Sunday's episode climaxed with Trump firing former Cosby Show star Keshia Knight Pulliam for refusing to ask Cosby to help fund her project.



Trump has now clarified on Twitter that The Celebrity Apprentice was filmed long before Janice Dickinson, Beverly Johnson and several other women accused Cosby of sexual impropriety.
"This show was taped just before the terrible Bill Cosby revelations came to light.She still should have asked him for money-goes to charity," he tweeted on Sunday (January 4).
Knight Pulliam defended her decision not to reach out to Cosby during an interview on NBC's Today on Monday (January 5).
"I know The Cosby Show is in reruns, and everyone thinks that we're this family that has dinner every Friday night," she explained. "But the reality was I hadn't spoken to Mr Cosby. 
"I felt that it would be tactless, very rude to call someone and be like, 'Hey, so, let me have some money right now'."
The actress also told Today's Savannah Guthrie that she could not "speak to" the allegations levelled against Cosby.
Cosby has denied all allegations of sexual assault through his lawyer.
Source

class="headline" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1420824673218_1410" style="font-size: 35px; font-weight: 300; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; line-height: 42px; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-right: 40px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Bill Cosby jokes woman should be careful drinking near himLONDON, Ontario (AP) — Bill Cosby jokingly warned a woman in the audience during a show in Canada Thursday night to be careful drinking around him.

Cosby made the remark at his second performance in a row after a string of cancellations that followed sexual assault allegations from more than 15 women. Some of the women accused Cosby of drugging them by slipping something in their drinks before he assaulted them

A woman who got up from one of the front rows and walked past the stage was asked by Cosby where she was going. When she answered that she was going to the lobby to grab a drink Cosby responded: "You have to be careful about drinking around me." The remark was met with loud applause.

A few minutes later a heckler yelled at Cosby that he was a rapist.

Cosby stood up as the crowd started to boo the man and asked them not to respond. "No, no, stop," he said, waving his hands.

The man was removed from the theater by a police officer while one member of the audience yelled "we love you" to Cosby.

Cosby later addressed the disruption — the first at a show since the allegations surfaced — in a statement.

"Dear Fans: One outburst but over 2600 loyal, patient and courageous fans enjoyed the most wonderful medicine that exist for human-kind. Laughter. I thank you, the theatre staff (Budweiser Gardens), the event organizers and the London, ON Community for your continued honor and support. I'm Far From Finished," Cosby said in the statement issued by his publicist following the show.

Cosby, 77, is also scheduled to appear at the Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton on Friday and in a number of shows throughout the U.S. over the next few months, including two shows in Denver on Jan. 17.

The comedian, who starred as Dr. Cliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" from 1984 to 1992, earning a reputation as "America's Dad," has never been charged in connection with any of the sexual assault allegations. A 2005 lawsuit by a Pennsylvania woman was settled before it went to trial, and he is being sued by a woman who claims he molested her in 1974 and by three other women who allege they were defamed by the comedian when his representatives denied some of the allegations.

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Bill Cosby sexual abuse accuser meets with police amid investigation
A second woman has met with the Los Angeles Police Department about allegations that she was sexually assaulted by comedian Bill Cosby.
Model Chloe Goins spoke with detectives for two hours today (January 14) about claims that Cosby drugged and abused her when she visited the Playboy Mansion at age 18 in 2008.


Goins's lawyer Spencer Kuvin told reporters outside LAPD headquarters that the questioning revolved around "a serious matter involving potentially serious allegations of drugging my client and alleged sexual abuse", reports NBC News.
Kuvin explained to the press that Goins refrained from speaking to the police immediately after the incident because she was afraid of Cosby's stature in Hollywood.
A spokesperson for the LAPD stated that these latest allegations "will be investigated".
Cosby's attorney has not responded to these claims, but the comedian has strongly denied sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by Janice Dickinson, Beverly Johnson and several other women.


Judy Huth was the first woman to speak to the LAPD about allegations of sexual impropriety regarding Cosby.
Huth told police that Cosby assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1974 when she was 15 years of age, but reports indicated that no charges would be filed over the alleged incident because the statute of limitations had expired.
Cosby has been defended publicly in recent weeks by his wife Camille and Cosby Show co-star Phylicia Rashād, with director Judd Apatow leading a public campaign to see the comedian charged.
The comic undertook a stand-up comedy tour of Canada earlier this month that was met with high-profile protests.
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class="headline" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421458360342_2162" style="font-size: 35px; font-weight: 300; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; line-height: 42px; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-right: 40px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"NBC firmly shuts door on Bill Cosby

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The door is firmly shut to Bill Cosby's return to NBC, the network's top entertainment executive said Friday.

"That's safe to say," NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt said Friday when asked if the network would ever again do a project with Cosby, who 30 years ago was the sitcom king with the network's "The Cosby Show."

NBC's decision to sever ties with the 77-year-old comedian comes in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual assault against him, two lawsuits and a complaint to Los Angeles police earlier this week from a woman who says the comedian sexually abused her in 2008.

The network said late last year it was dropping plans to develop a "classic" family sitcom with him.

The series was announced in mid-2014, before a rising tide of accusations against Cosby by women who say he drugged and assaulted them.

During a question and answer session with the Television Critics Association, Greenblatt was asked to explain what tipped the network against working with Cosby, who was publicly fending off allegations from two women a decade ago.

Cosby has not been charged in any of the alleged assaults and has denied them. In 2005, he settled a civil suit filed by one woman that included claims of battery and assault.

"Fifteen women came out and accused him of what they accused him of," Greenblatt said. Although Cosby hasn't been proven guilty of anything, "when that many people come out and have such similar complaints, it became a tainted situation" and the network didn't want to proceed with the sitcom.

He's glad NBC "is out from under that," Greenblatt said.

Pressed to say precisely what number of accusers is seen as critical mass, Greenblatt replied: "Fifteen, yes, two no."

Cosby has faced more career fallout, including Netflix's decision to indefinitely postpone a comedy special and the cancellation of concerts in his ongoing tour.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump said Friday that no consideration was given to editing the opening episode of the current season of "Celebrity Apprentice" in light of the Cosby controversy.

In that episode, filmed before the recent spate of allegations against Cosby became public, his former TV "daughter" Keshia Knight Pulliam was eliminated from the competition by Trump because she refused to call Cosby for help with her charity. The timing of the episode, which aired in January, became awkward.

"We didn't want to make any changes," said Trump, the show's star. "We're very happy with it. It became a very, very big topic of conversation."

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Bill Cosby responds to show protestors: "I'm far from finished"
Bill Cosby has responded to protests against his live comedy shows, stating he is "far from finished".
In a statement released to the Boston Herald, Cosby thanked event organisers for helping to make sure his stand-up shows in Boston go ahead.


"Dear fans: GOD has blessed me with a wonderful gift to share with all of you," Cosby said.
"For 53 years I have continued to master this gift, which heals the soul and warms hearts. Laughter! 
"I thank you, the theatre staff, the event organisers and the Boston community for your continued support and coming to experience family, fun entertainment."
The statement finishes with the line: "Hey, hey, hey - I'm far from finished."
Cosby has found himself involved in a sex abuse scandal after being accused by more than 25 women of sexual impropriety beginning in the 1960s up until the 2000s.
The star has denied all allegations of sexual abuse made against him and has continued his North American comedy tour, which sparked several protests.Source

class="headline" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1423588300236_906" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 35px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 300; line-height: 42px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-right: 40px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"Former Cosby Show Actress Accuses Bill Cosby of Sexual HarassmentrassmentAn actress and former fashion model who appeared on an episode of The Cosby Show is the latest person to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual harassment.
Helen Gumpel (nee Selby) held a news conference on Sunday in Boston, where Cosby was scheduled to perform back-to-back comedy shows, saying he made lewd gestures towards her in the late 1980s. (Hours beforehand, he had canceled both performances, citing bad weather.)
Gumpel claims that she was brought to Cosby's dressing room after filming her episode for what she thought was another audition, The Associated Press reports. There, she says he gave her a drink and then "stood in front of her with his crotch in her face," according to the AP. Gumpel says she refused his advances and believes her career suffered as a result.
Despite the numerous allegations against him, Cosby has not yet been charged with any crimes.
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Bill Cosby Scandal Widens as Three More Accusers Come ForwardComedian Bill Cosby, who in recent months has been mired in numerous accusations of sexual assault, once again found himself in the line of fire on Thursday as three more alleged victims came forward.
The trio of women told their stories at the office of attorney Gloria Allred. The women, who had previously not made their allegations publicly known, included a former model who alleged that she was victimized at the Playboy Mansion in Chicago.
During Thursday’s press conference one alleged victim, Janice Baker-Kinney, claimed that she was assaulted by Cosby in May 1982 while working as a bartender in the showrooms at Harrah’s in Reno. Baker-Kinney claimed that she went to where Cosby was staying for a “pizza party,” which turned out to be a party for just three people. According to Baker-Kinney, Cosby offered her a pill, then advised her to take two pills. Her vision became blurry while playing backgammon with Cosby, she claimed, after which she passed out.
When she woke up, she claimed, her jeans were unzipped and her blouse opened. Cosby asked her if she was OK, but then put his hand inside her blouse, Baker-Kinney said. She claimed she woke up naked in bed with Cosby the next morning.
Photo: Pamela Chelin 
“This is between me and you,” Cosby allegedly told Baker-Kinney, placing his fingers to his mouth as if to make a “shhh” sign. The alleged victim recalled telling the comedian that she would not go to the media with her story.
A second alleged victim, Marcella Tate, told reporters at the conference that, in 1975, when she was a model, she met Cosby via mutual friends at Faces, a club in Chicago. Tate claims that Cosby later called her one night, asking her to pick him up from the airport and drop him off at the Playboy Mansion. According to Tate, she had a glass of wine with Cosby in the mansion. Though her memory of what happened next was “cloudy,” Tate said she ended up in bed in a different room with a naked Cosby.
Tate said that she knew she had been in a sexual situation with the comedian, which wasn’t her intention, adding that she believed she was “targeted and drugged by Bill Cosby.”
“I feel that Mr. Cosby has no regard for women or their safety,” Tate told reporters.
The third alleged victim, Autumn Burns, claimed that she met Cosby in 1970 when she was 20 and working as a game starter at the Sahara. According to Burns, the comedian gave her $500 to gamble with or do whatever she wanted with, and invited her to his show.
After the show, Burns claimed, Cosby gave her a drink and called her into his bedroom. She recalled feeling “woozy” and “not in control” as Cosby, naked in bed, told her to sit on the edge.
Cosby then grabbed her by the back of the neck and stuck his erect penis down her throat, Burns claimed.
The comedian then lifted her up and had sex with her, claimed Burns, who added that she had carried shame all of her life due to the incident.
During the conference, Allred said that she has more alleged Cosby victims coming forward, adding, “it will be
In recent months, Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by numerous women, a common theme being that he drugged his alleged victims beforehand. Cosby’s attorney, Martin Singer, has denied the previous claims. TheWrap has reached out to Singer for comment on the trio of new accusers who came forward Thursday.
In the wake of the accusations, Cosby has suffered some career setbacks, with Netflix postponing a comedy special that was to have aired late last year, and NBC shelving a comedy that it was developing as a possible starring vehicle for Cosby.
The post Bill Cosby Scandal Widens as Three More Accusers Come Forward appeared first on TheWrap.
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Bill Cosby speaks out about rape allegations: "I have never seen anything like this"
 

Bill Cosby is speaking out in his first major television interview about multiple allegations of sexual misconduct levied against him.

The comedian has been accused by supermodel Janice Dickinson, Lou Ferrigno's wife Carla Ferrigno, actress Michelle Hurd and 34 other women of sexual assault over the course of five decades.

 

Cosby has not been criminally charged in any of these allegations, and has issued a strong denial of their validity through his attorney.

The comedian is now speaking out ahead of his involvement in a march with high school students for the Black Belt Foundation in Alabama.

He told Good Morning America of the allegations levied against him: "I have been in this business over 52 years and I have never seen anything like this.

"Reality is the situation. And I can't speak."

When asked how he would respond if questioned about the allegations by students during the Black Belt Foundation march for higher education standards, he replied: "I'm not sure that they will come like that. I think that many of them will say, 'Well you're a hypocrite, you say one thing, you say the other'.

"My point is, listen to me carefully, I'm telling you where the road is at."

Cosby added of his future: "I really know about what I'm going to do tomorrow. I have a ton of ideas to put on television about people and their love for each other."

The star has continued his live comedy dates in the wake of the scandal, but a Netflix stand-up special and an NBC comedy series have both been shelved.

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Bill Cosby is charged with sexually assaulting a woman

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Bill Cosby was charged Wednesday with sexually assaulting a woman at his home 12 years ago — the first criminal charges brought against the comedian out of the torrent of allegations that destroyed his good-guy image as America's Dad.

The case sets the stage for perhaps the biggest Hollywood celebrity trial of the mobile-all-the-time era and could send the 78-year-old Cosby to prison in the twilight of his life and barrier-breaking career.

In bringing the case, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman overruled her predecessor, who declined to charge Cosby in 2005 when Temple University employee Andrea Constand first told police that the comic drugged her and violated her by putting his hands down her pants at his mansion in suburban Philadelphia.

Cosby was charged with aggravated indecent assault and was to be arraigned in the afternoon.

The TV star acknowledged under oath a decade ago that he had sexual contact with Constand but said it was consensual.

The charges were announced just days before the 12-year statute of limitations for bringing charges was set to run out.

Prosecutors reopened the case over the summer as damaging testimony was unsealed in Constand's related civil lawsuit against Cosby and as dozens of other women came forward with similar accusations that made a mockery of his image as the wise and understanding Dr. Cliff Huxtable from TV's "The Cosby Show."

Many of those alleged assaults date back decades, and the statute of limitations for bringing charges has expired in nearly every case.

Constand, who is now 42 and works as a massage therapist in her native Canada, is ready to face Cosby in court, her attorney, Dolores Troiani, said this fall.

"She's a very strong lady," Troiani said. "She'll do whatever they request of her."

The charges add to the towering list of legal problems facing the actor, including defamation and sex-abuse lawsuits filed in Boston, Los Angeles and Pennsylvania.

Cosby in 1965 became the first black actor to land a leading role in a network drama, "I Spy," and he went on to earn three straight Emmys. Over the next three decades, the Philadelphia-born comic created TV's animated "Fat Albert" and the top-rated "Cosby Show," the 1980s sitcom celebrated as groundbreaking television for its depiction of a warm and loving family headed by two black professionals — one a lawyer, the other a doctor.

He was a fatherly figure off camera as well, serving as a public moralist and public scold, urging young people to pull up their saggy pants and start acting responsibly.

Constand, who worked for the women's basketball team at Temple, where Cosby was a trustee and proud alumnus, said she was assaulted after going to his home in January 2004 for some career advice.

Then-District Attorney Bruce Castor declined to charge Cosby, saying at the time that both the TV star and his accuser could be portrayed in "a less than flattering light." This year, Castor said the allegations in Constand's lawsuit were more serious than the account she gave police, and if that information had been known at the time, "we might have been able to make a case."

Castor tried to make a comeback as district attorney in the November election but lost to Ferman's top deputy.

After the criminal case went nowhere, Constand settled her lawsuit against Cosby in 2006 on confidential terms.

Her allegations and similar ones from other women in the years that followed did not receive wide attention but exploded into view in late 2014, first online, then in the wider media, after comedian Hannibal Buress mocked Cosby as a hypocrite and called him a rapist during a standup routine. That opened the floodgates on even more allegations.

Women mostly from the world of modeling, acting or other entertainment fields came forward and described being offered a drink by Cosby and waking up to find they had apparently been sexually assaulted. Cosby, through his representatives, accused some of the women of trying to extract money from him or get ahead in show business.

Earlier this year, The Associated Press persuaded a judge to unseal documents from the Constand lawsuit, and they showed the long-married Cosby acknowledging a string of affairs and sexual encounters.

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