Bill Cosby has sued seven women who accused him of sexually assaulting them years ago for defamation.
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Mr. Cosby states plainly that he neither drugged nor sexually assaulted the defendants, Pressley said in the statement.
Attorney Joseph Cammarata, who represents the seven women, hypothesizes that Cosby’s suit is an attempt to “shift the focus” away from the suits brought against him. The counterclaim names Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, Linda Traitz, Louisa Moritz, Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis and Angela Leslie as defendants for their “malicious, opportunistic, and false and defamatory” accusations of sexual misconduct. The famed comedian, 78, once among America’s biggest television stars, filed suit in a court in Springfield, Massachusetts, his lawyer Monique Pressley said in a statement.
Over 50 women have accused Cosby of drugging them and using his celebrity to prevent them from coming forward. The women could not sue him on grounds directly related to their accusations of sexual assault because the statute of limitations for such cases had expired.
Comedian Bill Cosby’s family-friendly image has been tarnished by allegations that he drugged and raped dozens of women over the course of his career.
Cosby is seeking an unspecified amount of money in his counterclaim, according to the New York Times.
Now, Cosby says via a statement from his representative, the women’s accusations “have caused and continue to cause him to suffer substantial injuries and damages to reputation, business contracts, shame, mortification, damages to property, business, trade, profession and occupation”.
Besides defamation, the women are also being sued for tortious interference and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Through his attorneys, he has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing and has never been charged with a crime.
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The suit does not seek specific damages, but asks that the court impose the maximum monetary sanctions allowed by law. “Such a tactic will not deter courageous women from fighting the battle against him”.
