Some of Bill Cosby’s accusers are fighting back.
Two women who have accused Bill Cosby of historical sex offences have joined a defamation action against the star.
The original case was filed in December by Tamara Green, who has accused Cosby of assaulting her in the 1970s.
The two new plaintiffs are Therese Serignese and Linda Traitz.
The women claim the comedian publicly called them liars through statements issued by his representatives. Cosby is facing a series of accusations, which he has called “unsubstantiated”.
The women’s lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, said the civil action allows them to have their allegations heard now criminal statutes of limitation have expired.
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Ms Green, who first spoke out regarding her allegations in 2005, said in her claim that [Cosby’s publicist David} Brokaw had made statements intended to expose her to public contempt and ridicule.
Well that’s what you do when you’re a rich and famous tv star accused of drugging and raping a slew of women – you do your best to expose them to public contempt and ridicule, by way of discrediting their testimony.
Ms Serignese and Ms Traitz, from Florida, allege in the amended complaint that when they came forward in November last year, Mr Singer issued responses for Cosby that said they were lying.
Best known as Dr Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992, the 77-year-old comedian is facing a number of allegations dating back to the 1970s.
The accusations, which he has described as “fantastical” and “uncorroborated”, have led to some of his stand-up shows being called off and the cancellation of some TV projects.
Cosby has not been charged in connection with any of the allegations.
I look forward to hundreds of Irish blog posts explaining that the police have not arrested Cosby and therefore the BBC is smearing him.
I don’t think “look forward to” so much as “dread” though. On the other hand, Cosby isn’t a peer in a specific community and can’t do much to boost a certain person’s ego or profile.
“The accusations, which he has described as “fantastical” and “uncorroborated”
Hmm, might be a problem there. Because neither term means ‘untrue’. Cosby’s spokespeople appear to have been taking great care to avoid issuing an actual denial. US libel law is very narrow. Merely disputing a factual claim asserted by another person does not constitute libel, calling them a liar does but it isn’t clear Cosby or his lawyers did so.
It might work, but it might also be an opportunity for the creep to wriggle free.
More likely the objective is to get discovery.
It is indeed fascinating to see how very carefully Cosby’s (and Cosby’s lawyers’) statements have been phrased.
Cosby and/or his people clearly learned from Shermer, whose public rebuttals must have had his lawyer banging his head against a wall.
The Cosby case might be hopeless (other than for deposition purposes). The Dershowitz case on the other hand looks rather promising.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30708795
The difference is that Dershowitz isn’t very careful when he blathers to the press. Prosecutors don’t often bring libel cases against high powered lawyers. His racist advocacy for the Israeli far right gets no pushback at all from the US establishment media.