Bill Cosby was convicted in 2018 of drugging and abusing a woman, but he ultimately served less than three years. In recent weeks, new allegations of sexual abuse by the comedian have continued to emerge. What now?
Cosby was “America’s favorite dad” for years because of the roles the actor played. But little is left of the image of a kind and gentle man after dozens of women came forward with accusations of sexual abuse over the past fifteen years.
The stream of accusations began in 2005 when former basketball star Andrea Constand filed a complaint against Cosby of sexual assault, which allegedly occurred a few years earlier. In 2005, lawyer Tamara Green also said she was sexually abused by the comedian. These stories appear to be just the tip of the iceberg, because there are many women who say they have experienced the same thing. And that continues to this day.
In total, more than sixty women now say that they were raped, assaulted and/or intimidated by the 86-year-old Cosby. Cosby, who made his breakthrough in 1984 with the role of Heathcliff Huxtable in the television series The Cosby Show, is said to have used his power and fame to abuse the women. The first case of sexual abuse is said to have occurred in the mid-1960s.
The role of Heathcliff Huxtable in The Cosby Show earned Cosby great fame and the title of ‘America’s favorite father’. Photo: GettyImages
Cosby drugged his victims before the abuse
In several cases, the comedian set himself up as a coach in order to get close to the women. What most stories have in common is that Cosby allegedly drugged the women prior to the abuse.
Constand’s first report ultimately led to a conviction. Initially, a settlement will be reached with the former basketball star. But after new evidence, a trial will take place. The result: in 2018, the comedian was found guilty by a jury of drugging and abusing Constand in his home.
Cosby is sentenced to three to ten years in prison, making him the first tried and convicted celebrity in the MeToo era. But after spending less than three years in a state prison near Philadelphia, the comedian will be released in 2021. The process appears not to have been fair. One of the prosecutors involved agreed with Cosby that he would not prosecute the actor if he testified in the civil case against Constand. Despite this agreement, the comedian was prosecuted and that should not have happened.
Former basketball star Andrea Constand. She was the first to go public with her story about Cosby. Photo: GettyImages
Accusations still keep coming
Cosby has always denied all allegations of sex crimes. He says he wants to go on tour again in December 2022, while five new charges of rape are filed against him a few weeks earlier. New accusations have been added in recent months.
In June of this year, Cosby was charged twice. In the American state of Nevada, nine women, including former model Janice Dickinson, filed a case against him. Former playmate Victoria Valentino is also filing a case against the comedian for sexual abuse. The most recent accusation is from last month. Waitress Donna Motsinger was allegedly raped by Cosby in 1972, writes Rolling Stone.
For Constand, the woman who started it all, it is no longer just about punishing Cosby. She is on a mission to help other victims of sexual abuse speak out. “Tell someone if something has happened to you. Don’t keep it a secret,” she says in an interview with Cosmopolitan. “I’m living proof that you can go through something like this and still achieve all your dreams. I turned something negative into something positive.”
2023-10-02 18:10:16
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