American comedian Bill Cosby has been the subject of publicized sexual assault allegations and was convicted of aggravated indecent assault in 2018 before the conviction was vacated by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on June 30, 2021. He has been accused by approximately 60 women of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct. The earliest incidents allegedly took place in the mid-1960s. Assault allegations against Cosby became more public after a stand-up routine by comedian Hannibal Buress in October 2014, alluding to Cosby's covert sexual misbehavior; thereafter, many additional claims were made. The dates of the alleged incidents have spanned from 1965 to 2008 in ten U.S. states and in one Canadian province.
Cosby has maintained his innocence and repeatedly denied the allegations made against him. He was asked about the allegations in November 2014 and responded, "I don't talk about it!" He has declined to publicly discuss the accusations in interviews in the past, although he told Florida Today that "people shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to innuendos." In May 2015, he said, "I have been in this business 52 years and I've never seen anything like this. Reality is a situation and I can't speak."
Following the allegations, numerous organizations severed ties with Cosby and revoked honors and titles previously awarded to him. Media organizations pulled reruns of The Cosby Show and other television programs featuring Cosby from syndication. Twenty-five colleges and universities rescinded honorary degrees. Adweek reporter Jason Lynch noted that the "media landscape has changed considerably—and has now been joined by the far-less-forgiving social media arena."
Most of the alleged acts fall outside the statute of limitations for criminal legal proceedings, but criminal charges were filed against Cosby in one case and numerous civil lawsuits were brought against him. As of November 2015, eight related civil suits were active against him. Gloria Allred represented 33 of the alleged victims. In July 2015, some court records were unsealed and released to the public from Andrea Constand's 2005 civil suit against Cosby. The full transcript of his deposition was released to the media by a court reporting service. In his testimony, Cosby admitted to casual sex involving recreational use of the sedative-hypnotic methaqualone (Quaaludes) with a series of young women, and he acknowledged that his dispensing the prescription drug was illegal.
In December 2015, three Class II felony charges of aggravated indecent assault were filed against Cosby in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, based on allegations by Constand concerning incidents in January 2004. Cosby's first trial in June 2017 ended in a mistrial. Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault at retrial on April 26, 2018 and on September 25, 2018, he was sentenced to three to ten years in state prison and fined $25,000 plus the cost of the prosecution, $43,611. Cosby appealed on June 25, 2019 and the verdict was subsequently upheld and granted an appeal by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
On June 30, 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented Cosby from being charged in the case, and overruled the conviction. The Supreme Court's decision prevents him from being tried on the same charges a third time.
Allegations
1965–1996 allegations
The earliest allegation against Bill Cosby dates back to December 1965: in 2005, Kristina Ruehli came forward as Jane Doe #12 in the Andrea Constand case and alleged that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her at that time in his Beverly Hills home. Further, Ruehli said she had told her boyfriend about the incident, and had told her daughter in the 1980s.
In the early 1980s, Joan Tarshis told freelance reporter John Milward about an alleged sexual assault by Cosby. Milward did not write about the allegations. In 1996, Playboy Playmate Victoria Valentino gave a videotaped interview in which she made sexual assault allegations against Cosby. The interview was conducted for an exposé on the lives of Playboy models, which was never published.
After the allegations resurfaced in 2014, Wendy Williams recalled that during her radio show in 1990, she referred to sexual assault allegations against Cosby that had been published in the National Enquirer tabloid. Williams said Cosby called her boss in the middle of the broadcast demanding that Williams be fired.
Later allegations and investigations (2000–2006)
On February 1, 2000, according to a statement provided by Detective Jose McCallion of the New York County District Attorney's Special Victims Bureau, Lachele Covington, who was 20 years old at the time, filed a criminal complaint against Cosby alleging that on January 28, 2000, at his Manhattan townhouse, he had tried to put her hands down his pants and then exposed himself. Covington also alleged that Cosby grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hands down her pants. Cosby was questioned and insisted "it was not true." The New York City Police Department (NYPD) referred her complaint to the D.A., but they declined to prosecute.
In January 2004, Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee, accused Cosby of drugging and fondling her; however, in February 2005, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania's District Attorney said there would be no charges due to insufficient credible and admissible evidence. Constand then filed a civil claim in March 2005, with thirteen women as potential witnesses if the case went to court. Cosby settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in November 2006. After learning that charges were not pursued in the Constand case, California lawyer Tamara Lucier Green, the only publicly named woman in the prior case, came forward with allegations in February 2005 that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her in the 1970s. Cosby's lawyer said Cosby did not know her and that the events did not happen.
In a July 2005 Philadelphia Daily News interview, Beth Ferrier, one of the anonymous "Jane Doe" witnesses in the Constand case, alleged that in 1984 Cosby had drugged her coffee and she awoke with her clothes partially removed. In 2005, Shawn Upshaw Brown, a woman with whom Cosby admitted to having an extramarital affair in the 1970s, claimed in the National Enquirer that Cosby drugged and raped her the last time the two were together sexually. Brown is the mother of Autumn Jackson, who claims to be Cosby's illegitimate daughter. Jackson was convicted in 1997 of extortion after she threatened to make the claims public in the Globe tabloid. In 2015, Brown went into more detail with her renewed allegations in an interview.
On June 9, 2006, Philadelphia magazine published an article by Robert Huber which gave graphic detail about Constand's allegations, and the similar stories told by Green and Ferrer about how they stated that they too were drugged and sexually assaulted. With these severe allegations against Cosby, Huber wrote: "His lawyers have gotten it pushed to the back burner, down to a simmer, and maybe it will amount to nothing, yet there is also the possibility that it will bubble up to destroy him." The article was titled Dr. Huxtable & Mr. Hyde, in allusion to both Cosby's character Dr. Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show and to a person having two starkly distinct "Jekyll and Hyde" personalities. This article also presented Barbara Bowman, who had come forward after having read about Constand's story, saying she could not sit in silence any longer. Details of Bowman's similar drug and sexual assault allegations were published in the magazine's November 1, 2006 issue. Bowman reported two incidents that happened around early 1986, wherein she was eighteen years old and working as an aspiring model and actress after her agent had introduced her to Cosby and he had become her good friend and mentor, saying that she escaped his attacks, returned home to Denver and Cosby thereafter subverted her career.
Buress remarks (October 2014)
On October 16, 2014, as part of a stand-up comedy routine in Philadelphia, Hannibal Buress addressed Cosby's legacy of "talk[ing] down" to young black men about their mode of dress and lifestyle. Buress criticized the actor's public moralizing by saying, "Yeah, but you raped women, Bill Cosby, so that kind of brings you down a couple notches." The audience appeared to respond to Buress's accusation as an incredulous joke, then he encouraged everyone to search "Bill Cosby rape" on Google when they got home. Buress had been using the same Cosby routine for the previous six months with little response, but word of the October performance spread rapidly after being posted on Philadelphia magazine's website. Media coverage intensified, with numerous publications tackling the question of how Cosby had managed to maintain, as Buress called it in his routine, a "teflon image" despite more than a decade of public sexual abuse accusations.
Shortly afterward, USA Today reported that either Cosby or his representative posted a request for Twitter followers to "Go ahead. Meme me!" The tweet was deleted after a large number of the submitted memes made reference to the accusations against Cosby.
Additional assault allegations
After Buress's remarks came to the attention of journalist Joan Tarshis, in November 2014, model Janice Dickinson, actress Louisa Moritz, actor Lou Ferrigno's wife Carla, Florida nurse Therese Serignese, Playboy Playmates Valentino and Sarita Butterfield, actress Michelle Hurd, and eleven other women also made accusations of alleged assaults by Cosby committed against them between 1965 and 2004. Charlotte Laws wrote a November 2014 article published by Salon accusing Cosby of assaulting a friend of hers, with whom she subsequently had lost contact. The following month, in a Vanity Fair article, model Beverly Johnson alleged that she was drugged by Cosby during a 1986 audition, and that she knew other women with similar accounts.
Cosby's attorney said Dickinson's account differed from prior accounts she had given of the incident and released a statement that said in part: "Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment." A follow-up statement dismissed the allegations as "unsubstantiated" and an example of "media vilification". A joint statement from Cosby and Constand, who had received a civil settlement in 2006, clarified the statement released a few days prior by stating that it did not refer to Constand's case, which was resolved years ago.
In January 2015, Cindra Ladd alleged that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1969. In May 2015, Lili Bernard claimed that Cosby sexually assaulted her in the early 1990s, and that she had been interviewed by police in Atlantic City, New Jersey, regarding the allegation. Because the state of New Jersey has no statute of limitations for rape, Bernard hoped charges would be brought, but media reports noted "it wasn't clear ...if what [Bernard] says happened to her happened in New Jersey."
On July 27, 2015, New York magazine's cover featured images of 35 women sitting in chairs with the last chair empty, suggesting there may be more victims who have not come forward yet. The 35 women told "their stories about being assaulted by Bill Cosby, and the culture that wouldn't listen". Eleven other women known to New York who alleged sexual assault by Cosby declined to be photographed and interviewed for the feature. According to Vox, the stories span "more than five decades" and are "remarkably similar, typically involving the comedian offering a woman a cup of coffee or some sort of alcoholic beverage—which may be spiked with drugs—and allegedly sexually assaulting the victim as she's impaired or unconscious."
On September 17, 2015, A&E broadcast the documentary Cosby: The Women Speak, a program in which thirteen alleged victims were interviewed. By October 24, nearly sixty women had claimed they were sexually abused by Cosby, and the terms "sociopath" and "serial rapist" were used to describe him. Jewell Allison, one of Cosby's accusers, described him as a "sociopath" and stated: "We may be looking at America's greatest serial rapist that ever got away with this for the longest amount of time. He got away with it because he was hiding behind the image of Cliff Huxtable."
Table of accusers' allegations
Cosby has been accused by sixty women of rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, or other sexual misconduct. There were also two instances of alleged child sexual abuse, both involving girls 15 years of age. The earliest alleged incidents took place in the mid-1960s, with the rest scattered all the way until the latest in 2008.
Cosby attorney Marty Singer stated, "There is virtually no standard by which the media are holding Mr Cosby's accusers ... Anyone and everyone who wants to file a suit or get on television can be guaranteed fawning coverage. The very same media have demonstrated an unconscionable disinterest in the veracity of his accusers and their motives." Cosby has maintained his innocence and repeatedly denied the allegations. In November 2014, in response to a question about the allegations, Cosby said: "I don't talk about it." Cosby has declined to discuss publicly the accusations in past interviews. However, he told Florida Today: "people shouldn't have to go through that and shouldn't answer to innuendos." In May 2015, he said "I have been in this business 52 years and I've never seen anything like this. Reality is a situation and I can't speak."
Alleged
Barbara Bowman: Rape, Yes--(1986 New York City; Atlantic City, New Jersey 2005) One of the most outspoken accusers. Claims Cosby mentored her until she turned 18, then offered her a drug-laced glass of wine and raped her in his New York home. Later allegedly attempted to assault her in Atlantic City and attempted to destroy her career when she fought back.
Beverly Johnson: Attempted assault, Yes--(1980s New York City 2013) Claims Cosby offered her a spiked espresso but was able to resist his actions and leave his house. She related this episode in a Vanity Fair article and in her memoirs that were released in August 2015. Cosby subsequently started a defamation suit against her in December 2015.
Louisa Moritz: Rape--(1971 New York City 2014) Claims Cosby forced oral sex backstage at The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Kristina Ruehli: Rape, Yes--(1965 Los Angeles, California 2014) Claims Cosby invited her to a "party" at his house where she was the only guest. Cosby then allegedly drugged and raped her.
Therese Serignese: Rape, Yes--(1976 Las Vegas, Nevada 2005) Claims Cosby randomly approached her at the Las Vegas Hilton where he was performing and asked her if she wanted to go to his show. Serignese attended his comedy show and afterwards he gave her Quaaludes before raping her. Cosby admitted under oath in his 2005 deposition: "I give her Quaaludes. We then have sex." He also stated he made payments to her in 1996 for an educational pledge he had previously made to her. Serignese was Jane Doe #10 in Constand's civil case against Cosby.
Tamara Green: Sexual assault, Yes--(1970s Los Angeles, California 2005) Was feeling ill one day while working at Cosby's restaurant, Cafe Figaro. Cosby allegedly offered her a "decongestant" then drove her to his house, where he attempted to rape her. Green alleges she was conscious enough to fight back. Was the only witness in Constand's case to be publicly named at the time. She is the lead plaintiff in Green et al. vs. Cosby defamation suit that includes six other women as plaintiffs.
Beth Ferrier: Other, Yes--(1980s Denver, Colorado 2005) Ferrier says she had been in a consensual relationship with Cosby for several months, but some time after breaking up, claims that he drugged her when she visited him before a performance in Denver. She claimed she woke up in a car in a parking lot with her clothes disheveled, after Cosby offered her a cup of coffee the night before.
Joan Tarshis: Rape, Yes--(1969 Los Angeles, California 1980s) Claims Cosby mixed her a drink while they were working together, and awoke to Cosby raping her. Originally told her story to a reporter in the 1980s who declined to publish it.
Victoria Valentino: Rape, Yes--(1970 Los Angeles, California 1996) Claims Cosby offered her pills before driving her to his home. Conscious but too drugged to move, she alleges Cosby turned her over and raped her. Valentino's friend confirmed she detailed the incident to her immediately after it happened. She also mentioned it in a videotaped interview in 1996.
Janice Dickinson: Rape, Yes--(1982 Lake Tahoe, Nevada 2002) Claims Cosby had been following her career and invited her to his hotel immediately after she left drug rehab. Alleges Cosby gave her wine and a pill, and awoke to him raping her. Provided her story in 2002 for her autobiography, but her publisher cut it in fear of being sued. Also made vague allegations in a 2006 interview with Howard Stern, saying she could not go into too much detail because she feared being targeted by Cosby.[
Carla Ferrigno: Attempted assault--(1967 Los Angeles, California 2014) Claims that while on a date with a man claiming to work in the record industry, she was taken to a party at Cosby's house, after which her date and Cosby's wife left, leaving the two alone. Alleges Cosby then forcefully grabbed and kissed her, repeatedly attempting to get her to have a drink before she insisted on leaving.
Linda Joy Traitz: Sexual assault, Yes--(1969 Los Angeles, California 2014) Claims that Cosby offered to give her a ride home after her shift at Cafe Figaro. Alleges that Cosby instead drove her to a secluded area and opened a briefcase full of pills, groped her, and insisted on her taking one of the pills; she declined and demanded to be driven home.
Renita Chaney Hill: Child sexual abuse, Yes--(1982 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2014) Claims that while being involved with Cosby's children's show Picture Pages, at the age of 15, Cosby made her consume drinks that would make her unconscious until the next day; when she complained about the drinks, Cosby said that was the only way she could continue seeing him. Claims she has one memory of Cosby kissing her before she passed out. Cosby paid for her college tuition.
Angela Leslie: Sexual assault--(1992 Las Vegas, Nevada 2014) Claims that during an acting audition in Cosby's Las Vegas hotel room, he told her to sip from a drink and act intoxicated, although she only pretended to sip it. He then allegedly stripped and forced Leslie's hand on his penis but told her to leave when she resisted. Afterward, she received regular payments from Cosby.
Lachele Covington: Sexual assault--(2000 New York City 2000) Claims that after working as an extra on the sitcom Cosby, she visited Cosby's townhouse for career advice, where he attempted to put her hand on his genitals. Covington reported the allegation to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) three days later but no charges were filed.
Patricia Leary Steuer: Sexual assault, Yes--(1978, 1980 Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts; Atlantic City, New Jersey 2015) Claims Cosby invited her to a party at his house, but she was the only guest. After having a drink, claims she woke up not remembering what happened. In a similar incident two years later, she woke up fully naked.
Linda Kirkpatrick: Sexual assault, Yes--(1981 Las Vegas, Nevada 2015) Claims that after being invited backstage to Cosby's Las Vegas show, he handed her a drink causing her to blackout with intermittent memories of Cosby trying to mount her.
Linda Brown: Sexual assault, Yes--(1969 Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2015) Claims after having dinner with Cosby, he insisted on taking her to his hotel, where he offered her a soda. Alleges she then woke up naked as Cosby began to assault her "like a real-life blow-up doll".
Kaya Thompson: Sexual assault--(1980s New York City 2015) Claims that on the set of The Cosby Show, Cosby forced himself on her and told her to use a bottle of Lubriderm to pleasure him. He offered her $700 as she left.
Sunni Welles: Sexual assault, Yes--(1960s Los Angeles, California 2015) Claims that Cosby offered her drinks at a jazz club, then remembers only waking up naked the next day. Unsure what happened, alleges she accepted another invitation to meet Cosby where she again had a drink and then woke up naked.
"Kacey": Sexual assault, Yes--(1996 Los Angeles, California 2015) Claims after a long-running professional relationship with Cosby, on one occasion he insisted she take a white pill to help her relax. Alleges she blacked out and awoke next to Cosby in bed. Came forward in 2015 under condition of anonymity and an assumed name.
Chelan Lasha: Sexual assault, Yes--(1986 Las Vegas, Nevada 2014) Claims Cosby offered to help her pursue a modeling career; alleges Cosby lured her to his hotel room, offered her an "antihistamine" and a shot of Amaretto, which knocked her unconscious as Cosby began humping her. Gave her $1,500 when she woke up and left.
Helen Hayes: Other--(1973 Pebble Beach, California 2014) Claims that after attending the 1973 Celebrity Tennis Tournament, Cosby stalked her throughout the evening until eventually confronting her and groping her breasts. Not to be confused with the actress Helen Hayes.
Heidi Thomas: Rape, Yes--(1984 Reno, Nevada 2015) Claims that during an audition, Cosby instructed her to sip a drink and act intoxicated. After sipping the drink, alleges she became unconscious and awoke to Cosby performing oral sex.
PJ Masten: Rape, Yes--(1979 Chicago, Illinois 2014) Claims Cosby invited her to dinner where he offered her a cocktail, knocking her unconscious and waking up later in Cosby's bed naked and bruised. Alleges she believes she was raped. Claims after she confronted management at the Playboy Club, her supervisor said, "Shut your mouth."
Sarita Butterfield: Other--(1977 Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts 2014) Claims that Cosby cornered her at a party and groped her breasts but she was able to fend off further advances.
Janice Baker-Kinney: Rape, Yes--(1982 Las Vegas, Nevada 2015) Claims that a friend invited her to a party at Cosby's residence, where they were the only guests. Alleges that Cosby offered her a drink, causing her to black out as her friend was leaving. Claims she awoke naked in bed next to Cosby, who was also naked.
Autumn Burns: Rape, Yes--(1970 Las Vegas, Nevada 2015) Claims that while working at a Las Vegas casino, Cosby approached her to help her break into the entertainment industry. Alleges he invited her to his hotel suite where he offered her a drink, causing her to feel heavily drugged as Cosby had forcible oral sex.
Lili Bernard: Rape, Yes--(1990s New York City 2015) Claims that in preparation of her guest-starring on The Cosby Show, Cosby mentored her, and that once he gained her total trust, he drugged her, raped her and threatened her.
Sammie Mays: Sexual assault, Yes--(1987 Las Vegas, Nevada 2015) Claims that Cosby invited her to his suite while she was attending a television industry conference in Las Vegas; once alone, she alleges Cosby offered a drink that caused her to black out and awake to find her bra disheveled and Cosby standing over her.
Margie Shapiro: Rape, Yes--(1975 Santa Monica, California 2015) Claims Cosby randomly invited her to a party and later a personal visit to the Playboy Mansion, after seeing her in a doughnut shop. At the Mansion, alleges Cosby played a game where she would have to swallow a pill. Claims she regained consciousness while Cosby was raping her.
Joyce Emmons: Other, Yes--(1979–1980 Las Vegas, Nevada; New York City 2014) Claims that during Cosby's appearance at her comedy club, he offered her a pill to help with her headache. Alleges the next thing she remembers was waking up naked with Cosby's friend and when confronted, Cosby said he gave her a Quaalude. Further asserts that Cosby had repeatedly offered to show off his large collection of drugs to her, even though he never took any drugs himself.
Rebecca Lynn Neal: Rape, Yes--(1986 Las Vegas, Nevada 2015) Claims Cosby repeatedly visited the health club where she worked and invited her to his show; upon accepting, alleges that Cosby gave her a shot of Stoli, which rendered her disoriented but still conscious while Cosby raped her, ignoring her weakened pleas to tell him to stop. Says Cosby never visited her health club again.
Jewel Allison: Rape, Yes--(1990 New York City 2015) Claims Cosby invited her to his New York townhouse for dinner, where he offered her a glass of wine. Alleges the next thing she remembers was seeing semen on the floor as Cosby helped escort her outside into a cab. Gained distinction for being one of the few African-American women to accuse Cosby.
Lise-Lotte Lublin: Rape, Yes--(1989 Las Vegas, Nevada 2015) Claims that during an audition in Cosby's hotel suite, he offered her two shots of liquor, causing her to black out and awaken to Cosby straddling her. Has helped champion new Nevada legislation to extend statute of limitation on rape cases.
Cindra Ladd: Rape, Yes--(1969 New York City 2015) As a friend of Cosby, claims that she once complained of a headache, to which Cosby responded by offering a pill. Alleges the next thing she remembers is waking up naked with Cosby standing nearby in a robe. As a respected philanthropist and powerful media executive, she became a noteworthy counterbalance to critics who claimed Cosby accusers were seeking money or fame.
Helen Gumpel: Attempted assault--(1987 New York City 2015) Claims that after being called back for a potentially second appearance on The Cosby Show, Cosby invited her into his dressing room and made repeated advances on her, attempting to get her to have a drink. She declined and did not appear on any future episodes.
Kathy McKee: Rape--(1973 Detroit, Michigan 2014) Claims that after knowing Cosby personally for eight years, he invited her to his Detroit hotel room where he spun her around and penetrated her.
Charlotte Fox: Rape--(1970s Los Angeles, California 2015) Claims that while working on Uptown Saturday Night, she was invited to a party at the Playboy Mansion hosted by Cosby. After drinking at the club, began to feel "incapacitated" as Cosby raped her. Did not explicitly accuse Cosby of drugging her.
Marcella Tate: Rape, Yes--(1975 Los Angeles, California 2015) Claims that Cosby offered her a drink during a party at the Playboy Mansion, after which she blacked out and woke up in a bed next to Cosby, who was naked.
Shawn Brown: Rape, Yes--(1970s San Antonio, Texas 1990s) Cosby admitted to this extramarital affair with Brown in the 1990s. She alleged in 2014 that despite their consensual sex, she was not "freaky enough" for him so on one occasion he insisted she drink alcohol and smoke marijuana, leading her to black out while he raped her.
Lisa Jones: Attempted assault, Yes--(1986 New York City 2014) Met Cosby when she was 17 and alleges that after she turned 18, Cosby invited her to New York to audition for The Cosby Show where he offered her alcohol and then began trying to spread her legs apart. Claims she was able to escape to avoid further assault.
Judith Huth: Child sexual abuse, Yes--(1974 Los Angeles, California 2014) Claims that at the age of 15, she wandered onto a movie set where Cosby was working. Alleges Cosby took her to his house and plied her with drinks, then to the Playboy Mansion where he instructed her to tell people she was 19, then took her to a room where he masturbated himself with her hands. Because it is an alleged child sexual abuse case, statute of limitations began when Huth realized the trauma as an adult. A Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) investigation resulted in no criminal charges; a civil case is currently underway.
Eden Tirl: Sexual harassment--(1990 New York City 2015) A former actress who guest starred as a police officer on The Cosby Show in 1990, Tirl said she was pulled off the set during a taping of the show and groped by Cosby inside his dressing room. Tirl said she later told two of the show's staffers what happened, but was ignored.
"Elizabeth": Rape, Yes--(1976 Los Angeles, California 2015) Claims she met Cosby while working as a flight attendant and accepted an offer for dinner, where Cosby gave her a glass of sake, causing her to fall into a "trance-like state" where Cosby forced her to perform a sex act she described as "the most horrifying thing that could happen to an innocent young woman". Came forward in 2015 under condition of anonymity and an assumed name.
Jena T.: Sexual assault--(1988 New York City 2015) Claims Cosby started paying an unwanted amount of attention to her while working as a model at age 17–18. Alleges that after she voiced her concerns to Cosby, he offered to buy her a car and then eventually forced her into unspecified sexual activity, giving her $700 as she left.
"Lisa": Sexual assault, Yes--(1988 New York City 2015) Claims Cosby invited her to his home while she was trying to further her modeling career. Alleges Cosby offered her a shot of alcohol, causing her to feel dizzy and out of control while Cosby began petting her as she blacked out. Came forward in 2015 under condition of anonymity and an assumed name.
Michelle Hurd: Attempted assault--(1995 New York City 2014) Claims Cosby invited her to his dressing room for acting exercises while working on The Cosby Mysteries. Alleges that some exercises involved inappropriate touching of her body, leading to Cosby to invite her to his home and take a shower. Hurd says she refused and claims Cosby told her to never tell anyone about their acting exercises.
Andrea Constand: Sexual assault, Yes--(2004 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2005) Cosby invited Constand to his house to discuss career goals after meeting her at Temple University. He provided her pills to relax her anxiety, which he claimed were Benadryl. Afterward, he fondled her and digitally penetrated her, according to his own sworn testimony though he claims it was consensual. Constand alleged sexual abuse to the Philadelphia Police Department, who decided not to file charges against Cosby. Constand then filed a civil lawsuit where thirteen other women came forward to allege similar abuse. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. On December 30, 2015, shortly before the expiry of the statute of limitations re: the alleged January 2004 incident, Cosby was charged with sexual assault based on the 2005 allegations by Constand, a reversal of a 2005 decision not to lay a charge. Documents from the case were sealed until the summer of 2015, and the charge was based on new evidence according to the current district attorney for Montgomery County.
Chloe Goins: Sexual assault, Yes--(2008 Los Angeles, California 2014) Claims that Cosby drugged and assaulted her while she was at the Playboy Mansion in 2008. In 2015 the LAPD investigated and referred their file to Los Angeles D.A. In 2016, an announcement was made that no charges would be laid because of inadequate evidence and the expiration of the statute of limitations.
Lisa Christie: Attempted assault--(1989 Chicago, Illinois 2015) Claims that after years of seeing Cosby as a mentor, he offered to audition her for the movie Ghost Dad in his hotel room, when Cosby attempted to kiss her "like a boyfriend" and said he would give her "the biggest orgasm" of her life. When she refused, Cosby told her she would "never make it in this business" unless she slept with him. Christie went on to be Mrs. America less than ten years later.
Pamela Abeyta: Rape, Yes--(1979 Las Vegas, Nevada 2015) Claims Cosby offered to help her with her ambitions to become a Playboy model; while having dinner with Cosby, alleges she drank something that caused her to pass out, and when she awoke there were three naked men near her, including Cosby.
Sharon Van Ert: Sexual assault, Yes--(1976 Redondo Beach, California 2015) Claims Cosby gave her something to drink while she was working at a jazz club, then walked her out to her car when he said she needed to "sober up". She alleges Cosby then began caressing her before she blacked out, and when she woke up realized her panties were missing.
Jane Doe (Multiple): Other, Yes--(Varied Varied 2005) Numerous witnesses who agreed to testify in Constand's 2005 civil suit have not yet come forward publicly. Due to active lawsuits seeking to unseal further details in that case, some Jane Doe witnesses have been contacted in attempts to allow their identities to be revealed.
"Sandy": Rape, Yes--(1980 Las Vegas, Nevada 2014) Television host Charlotte Laws claims her close friend, whom she referred to as "Sandy" in a Salon article, had a consensual sexual relationship with Cosby, but was alarmed one morning when she realized Cosby had intentionally drugged her the night before and had sex while she was unconscious. "Sandy" said she could not understand because she would have had no issues having consensual sex with him. Laws further stated that when Constand's allegations came forward in 2005, he joked about whether or not he had ever drugged her.
Cynthia Myers: Other, Yes--(< 1997 Los Angeles, California < 2011) Prior to Myers' death in 2011, she provided interviews for the book Centerfolds, which was released in 2015. In these undated interviews, Myers claimed she personally witnessed Cosby "use drugs to have sex with women" at the Playboy Mansion, stating that his actions repulsed her so much she was unable to "shed a tear" when Cosby's son Ennis was murdered in 1997.
Charlotte Kemp: Attempted assault, Yes--(1980s Los Angeles, California 2014) Claims that she was with Valentino on the night Cosby raped her. Alleges she received drinks from Cosby along with Valentino, but passed out in Cosby's home and later left with Valentino before Cosby assaulted her.
Dottye: Rape, Yes--(1984 New York City 2015) Claims that Cosby invited her to his New York apartment to audition for The Cosby Show, where he drugged and raped her. Came forward on condition of being identified by only her first name.
Donna Barrett: Sexual assault--(2004 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2015) Claims that during a photo shoot with her track team at the University of Pennsylvania, Cosby grabbed her and forcefully pressed his body against hers.
"Katy": Rape, Yes—(1981 Denver, Colorado 2018) "Katy" claims she was living in Denver in February 1981, where she was working as a cocktail waitress at a nightclub where Cosby performed. Cosby offered her red wine and she blacked out. She awoke the next morning in a strange room naked and covered in bruises. Cosby was standing over her in a robe. She rushed out of the room despite Cosby's attempts to persuade her to stay. She came forward in 2018 under condition of anonymity and an assumed name.
Linda Ridgeway Whitedeer: Sexual assault --(1970s Undisclosed 2015) Claims that during a job interview on a movie set, Cosby sexually assaulted her.
Witness in 2005 Constand civil case
Criminal investigations
Constand case
Unsealing of Constand v. Cosby deposition
On July 8, 2015, Constand and her attorney Dolores Troiani filed a motion to negate the confidentiality agreement in the 2005 case against Cosby, claiming Cosby had already engaged in "total abandonment of the confidentiality portions of the agreement" by way of the recent, sweeping denials of all allegations against him. A judge ruled that releasing the sealed documents was justified by Cosby's role as a "public moralist" in contrast to his possible criminal private behavior.
Although some of the files from the Constand case had been unsealed, the transcript of Cosby's several depositions was not among them. Instead, The New York Times had been able to obtain the complete deposition from a court reporting service that had been hired by Constand's attorney and released the document to the general public. After it was discovered that the transcript of the deposition had been released, Cosby's lawyers filed a new motion in the case on July 21, 2015, asserting that Constand and Troiani may have orchestrated the release.
In the court filing condemning the release of the deposition, Cosby's attorneys stressed that none of the testimony that was actually unsealed by a judge stated that he engaged in non-consensual sex or gave anyone Quaaludes without their knowledge or consent. "Reading the media accounts, one would conclude that the Defendant has admitted to rape", the document said. "And yet the Defendant admitted to nothing more than being one of the many people who introduced Quaaludes into their consensual sex life in the 1970s." Cosby's lawyers further contended that a court reporting service hired by Constand had released the 2005 court transcript to the Times, days earlier, in a "massive breach of protocol". The court reporters' code of ethics prohibits the release of testimony without all parties first being contacted.
In the deposition, Cosby denied any sexual assault of any women but admitted he had used sedatives to help gain their cooperation. He testified that he had obtained Quaaludes from gynecologist Leroy Amar, who knew Cosby had no intention of taking the drugs himself. Cosby instead intended to give them to women he wanted to have sexual relations with and admitted he had given the drug to at least one woman and other people. Cosby admitted knowing it was illegal at the time to dispense the drug to other people. Amar would later have his medical license revoked in California and New York State; he died in 2002.
2015 criminal charges
On December 30, 2015, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Cosby was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault on Constand as a result of a single incident alleged to have occurred at his home in Cheltenham Township on an unspecified date between mid-January and mid-February 2004 (referred to by media coverage as "January 2004"), according to the very detailed arrest warrant filed on December 15, 2015. These were the first criminal charges as a result of sexual assault allegations that had been made by many women against Cosby.
Cosby was arraigned that afternoon without entering a plea; his bail was set at $1 million. Cosby surrendered his passport, posted bond, and was escorted to the Cheltenham Township police station to be booked, fingerprinted, and photographed for a mug shot. The charges are based on Constand's statement to police of unwanted sexual contact, though not intercourse, in early 2004, that had been first reported to the Durham Regional Police Service near Constand's home in southern Ontario, Canada, on January 13, 2005; the report was forwarded to authorities in Pennsylvania. On February 17, 2005, the then-district attorney, Bruce Castor, had released a statement that charges would not be brought at that time.
Constand launched a civil lawsuit against Cosby in 2005 which was settled by the defendant in July 2006, on a confidential basis. Some of the testimony from that case was unsealed in July 2015. Based on details revealed in this testimony, along with new interviews with certain witnesses, newly elected District Attorney Kevin Steele decided to file charges on December 30, 2015. The criminal court documents allege that blue pills, said to be Benadryl by Cosby, were given to Constand, who had also been drinking wine during the January 2004 incident.
Cosby's attorney issued a statement saying, "We intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that Mr. Cosby will be exonerated by a court of law." Cosby's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the sexual assault charges in January 2016, stating that Castor's office had promised in 2005 that Cosby would not be prosecuted. In testimony involving Cosby's motion to dismiss the charges, Castor defended his decision not to bring charges, citing among other things Constand's year-long delay in reporting the allegations, her continued contact with Cosby, and suggestions that she and her mother might have tried to extort the TV star.
On February 3, 2016, Judge Steven O'Neill ruled "there was no basis" to dismiss the case based on Cosby's assertions. Cosby's legal team sought an appeal before the Superior Court of Pennsylvania; on April 25, 2016, the Superior Court refused to hear Cosby's appeal from the denial of his motion to dismiss the charges, lifted a temporary stay of the pre-trial hearing, and sent the case back to the original court. On April 13, 2016, Cosby filed a motion with the Superior Court to re-seal the deposition from the original Constand lawsuit. His lawyers made a similar request in federal court in Massachusetts earlier, but that motion was denied by Judge David H. Hennessy, who likened these efforts to putting the "toothpaste back in the tube" since Cosby's testimony had already been in the news for months.
At the preliminary hearing on May 24, a judge found that there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial, despite the fact that Constand did not testify, which is allowed under Pennsylvania law. He set a pre-trial hearing for September 6. Cosby appealed this decision based upon the belief his legal team had the right to cross-examine the accuser; he lost this appeal on October 12. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced it would review the state law in a separate case, to which Cosby's lead attorney, Brian McMonagle, said he would try to add Cosby's case in hopes of having it thrown out. On September 6, 2016, Judge Steven O'Neill set a trial date for June 6, 2017. On April 12, 2017, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to hear Cosby's appeal to question Constand before the trial.
Cosby had faced a maximum of fifteen to thirty years in prison if found guilty on all three counts and a fine up to $25,000. His trial started on June 5, 2017, and ended in mistrial on June 17.
Judith Huth
On December 16, 2014, after a ten-day investigation, Los Angeles prosecutors declined to file any charges against Cosby after Judith Huth claimed the comedian molested her around 1974 at the Playboy Mansion. Huth had met with Los Angeles police detectives for ninety minutes. In rejecting the case, prosecutors evaluated the charge Cosby would have faced in 1974. Prosecutors took into account legislative changes that extend the statute of limitations for certain crimes but found no way that Cosby could be legally prosecuted.
Lili Bernard
On April 30, 2015, Cuban-American visual artist Lili Bernard filed a sexual assault complaint against Cosby in New Jersey, a state that has no statute of limitations for sexual assault. On July 1, 2015, prosecutors declined to prosecute Cosby because the alleged offense happened before 1996 (the year the law was changed to lift the statute of limitations).
Chloe Goins
From July through October 2015, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) conducted a criminal investigation into Cosby's alleged sexual assault of then 18-year-old model Chloe Goins. The following day, in a statement to ABC News, the LAPD said it will explore any sexual assault accusations against Cosby, including accusations for which the statute of limitations has expired, and referred the case to the Los Angeles County D.A.'s office.
As with nearly all other cases of alleged sexual misconduct by Cosby, the statute of limitations has expired on this 2008 case, according to most experts. Nonetheless, an investigation of the Goins allegations was opened because "LAPD officials said there were many reasons to investigate sexual assault allegations that fall beyond those legal deadlines. Old accusations may lead investigators to more recent incidents with other victims" and Goins would be allowed to testify if charges were laid in any other (more recent) cases. Cosby's former attorney Martin Singer stated he would provide documentary evidence to the LAPD that established Cosby was in New York on August 9, 2008, the date of the incident alleged by Goins.
On January 6, 2016, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office announced that no charge would be laid because they were "blocked by the statute of limitations or lacked sufficient evidence".
First trial
On September 6, 2016, Judge Steven T O'Neill set a trial date in the case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. William H. Cosby Jr., in which Cosby would be tried for three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Constand. O'Neill set a trial date of June 5, 2017. The judge ruled because Cosby is blind he would need special accommodations during the proceedings. On October 6, Cosby resumed his bid to have his sexual assault case thrown out, arguing that his due process rights were violated. On November 16, O'Neill denied the motion.
Cosby faced a maximum sentence of fifteen to thirty years in prison if found guilty on all three counts and a fine of up to $25,000.
Pretrial motions
Evidentiary motions
On September 6, 2016, the prosecution filed a motion to introduce thirteen other accusers to show a method of operation. Cosby opposed the motion. On February 24, 2017, O'Neill ruled that, out of the other accusers that the prosecution wanted to introduce to show a pattern of alleged criminal sexual behavior by Cosby, only one would be allowed to testify.
The prosecution also moved to introduce into evidence a recorded conversation between Constand's mother Gianna and Cosby discussing the alleged assault. The defense moved to have the deposition from Constand's 2005 civil deposition thrown out. The judge said he would rule on all these motions at a later date. On September 16, O'Neill ruled that the recorded call between Constand's mother and Cosby would be allowed to be played in court. In his ruling he said that since the call was recorded in Canada, which deems recordings lawful with consent from only one party, it would be admissible. On December 5, O'Neill ruled that the deposition in the Constand civil case and any other evidence gathered by using it would be allowed into the trial.
On March 28, 2017, Cosby's defense filed a motion stating that any mention of any other sexual offenses allegedly committed by Cosby should be excluded and that any of Cosby's admissions in his deposition about using Quaaludes or other women he had sex with should also be excluded, even though the judge ruled previously that all information in the deposition would be allowed in court. On March 30, the prosecution opposed this motion and added that comments Cosby made in television interviews with Larry King and in his 1991 book named Childhood about his quest for "Spanish Fly" showed that he was well aware of date rape drugs and that this should also be put into the trial as evidence. On April 28, O'Neill ruled that the use of "Spanish Fly" and any other material from Cosby's book Childhood would not be allowed. He did however rule that his testimony about Quaaludes would be allowed. O'Neill also ruled that the amount of money paid in Constand's lawsuit settlement would be excluded.
Jury selection
On December 30, 2016, Cosby's defense team filed a motion for a change of venue and sought a jury selection from a larger pool outside Montgomery County, arguing that any local jury pool would be tainted given negative media coverage of Cosby. On January 5, 2017, the prosecution wrote that the trial should stay in the county, but they would not object to a jury picked from outside the county. On February 27, 2017, O'Neill ruled that he would allow a jury from outside the county but the trial would remain in Montgomery County; he also ruled the jury would be sequestered. On March 13, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a one-paragraph order setting Allegheny County as the county from which the jury pool would be picked. Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, is the state's second most-populous county.
In March 2017, the defense asked the court to call up 2,000 people as potential jurors. They wished to mail the potential jurors a questionnaire so lawyers could winnow the field of potential jurors. The prosecution objected to Cosby's defense team's requests as to the number of jurors to be questioned, the manner in which they were to be selected, and the timeframe for jury selection, saying Cosby was trying to get special treatment. On April 11, O'Neill denied the defense motions on screening jurors and ruled that jury selection would start on May 22 in Pittsburgh, using the usual procedures of law and lasting up to a week. There would be twelve jurors and six alternates. O'Neill also denied a request by the defense to get extra strikes.
On May 24, 2017, the jury selection process was completed. The jury consisted of one black woman, one black man, six white men, four white women and six alternates.
Jane Doe No. 6
Jane Doe No. 6 was a witness for the prosecution and was the only one of the thirteen Jane Does that O'Neil allowed to testify. She is a black woman who came forward in January 2015 under the alias "Kacey". She claimed that in 1996 Cosby gave her a drug and wine and sexually assaulted her.
Racial bias claims
In a press appearance following a hearing in September 2016, Cosby's lawyers claimed for the first time that racial bias was to blame for the sexual assault charges against their client. In response, prominent criminal defense lawyer commentators, such as Mark Geragos and Carl E. Douglas, stated that this assertion may be an effort to influence potential jurors.
The defense criticized attorney Gloria Allred, who represents several of Cosby's accusers, stating that Allred's "campaign against Mr. Cosby builds on racial bias and prejudice that can pollute the court of public opinion." Allred responded by calling the claim "desperate". She said Cosby "complains about racial bias but what about the African American women whom I represent who accuse him of sexual assault or rape and who refuse to remain silent about what they say they have suffered?" and, "This is not an issue of racial bias. Instead, it is an issue of whether or not Mr. Cosby has committed acts of gender sexual violence."
Declaration of mistrial
On June 17, 2017, O'Neill said the jurors were "hopelessly deadlocked" and declared a mistrial. Reports suggest that the jury deadlocked in a 10–2 vote in favor of convicting Cosby on counts 1 (digital penetration without consent) and 3 (drugged without knowledge or consent), and was 11–1 in favor of acquittal on count 2 (that Constand was unconscious or unaware during the alleged assault).
In an account by NBC News reporter Tracy Connor, an anonymous juror said that when the jury first told the judge it was deadlocked, on June 15, the votes on the three counts were 7–5, 5–7, and 5–6 with one abstention. Two days later, the vote on one of the counts was 10–2, but then several jurors changed their minds, making it a more even split again. It was described as a "true deadlock." On June 23, a juror told CNN that the deadlock was caused in large part by confusion over the contradicting statements made by Constand during testimony. The juror, speaking anonymously, also said the prosecution presented "no real new evidence".
The prosecution announced on the same day of the mistrial that they intended to retry the case.
Second trial
Cosby's second trial was originally set for November 2017, before being delayed to April 2018.
Attorney changes and trial setting
On August 22, 2017, Judge O'Neil granted Cosby's request to change attorneys. Cosby would now be represented by Thomas Mesereau, who was the lead attorney in the 2005 acquittal at Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. Kathleen Bliss and Lane Vines would also represent Cosby. The judge also agreed to postpone the trial until at least March 2018 and accepted the new attorney's request to keep the trial local instead of a change of venue like the first trial.
Key motions
In January 2018, the prosecution asked that nineteen other alleged victims be allowed to testify to show a pattern of similar conduct, which is allowed under Pennsylvania law. The defense filed a motion to have the case dismissed, alleging that Constand did not make the phone calls when she said she did. The defense also asked that a former co-worker be allowed to testify to the fact that she said Constand had told her she could make up a story about sexual misconduct and then sue someone for it. The defense has also asked the case be dismissed on prosecutorial misconduct and claims the statute of limitations has expired as well.
Guilty verdict and sentence
On April 26, 2018, a jury found Bill Cosby guilty of three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault against Constand. The Montgomery County district attorney, Kevin Steele, asked at this point that Cosby's $1 million bail be revoked, suggesting that he owned a private plane and could flee. This prompted an angry outburst from Cosby, who shouted, "He doesn't have a plane, you asshole!"; Cosby was ultimately not ruled a flight risk.
On September 25, Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in prison. He was also ordered to pay the cost of the prosecution against him, $43,611, as well as a $25,000 fine. On that day he was placed in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, and moved to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections SCI Phoenix in Skippack Township hours afterward.
Appeals
Cosby appealed his conviction, asserting eleven errors in the trial. He argued that the admission of the testimony of five "prior bad act" witnesses was improper, and that these witnesses' testimonies were "too remote in time" and "too dissimilar" to the charges in the trial to be admitted under the rules of evidence. However, on December 10, 2019, Cosby's conviction was upheld by a unanimous three-judge panel in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, the state's intermediate appellate court. In a 94-page opinion, the court held that the trial court had properly admitted the testimony of five of the nineteen women sought by prosecutors, determining that their testimony suggested a "distinct, signature pattern" in Cosby's "unique sexual assault playbook." Cosby is pursuing a further appeal in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
On June 23, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Cosby would be able to appeal his sexual assault conviction based upon questions on testimony from a witness being more prejudicial than probative. The court will hear his appeal on arguments of it were proper for five prosecution witnesses to testify in the case and include a deposition that Cosby admitted to giving quaaludes to other women in the past. The court also agreed to review whether a former prosecutor informing Cosby that he would not be prosecuted for the assault, resulting in Cosby agreeing to testify in his accuser's civil lawsuit, negatively affected the criminal trial.
The court heard Cosby's appeal on December 1, 2020.
Parole hearings
On May 28, 2021, Cosby's petition for parole was denied. The parole board said in its decision making, that Cosby would not be considered for parole until after he takes his sexually violent treatment program and develops a parole release plan. Also in their decision making, they cited the fact that Cosby was given a negative recommendation by prison officials. Cosby, through his spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, has stated that he will not ever take the sex classes as this would make him look like he was guilty. The parole board said until he takes his classes they will not have another hearing.
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