Ruehli, 72, who came forward to accuse Cosby a year ago, was 22 when she worked as a secretary for a talent agency that had Cosby as a client. Her lawyers are seeking unspecified damages.
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She claimed that Cosby drugged her and sexually assaulted her in his California home a half-century ago.
Brennan Linsley/ASSOCIATED PRESS Bill Cosby already is facing a similar defamation lawsuit in MA brought by accusers Tamara Green, Linda Traitz and Therese Serignese.
Cosby, who played Dr. Cliff Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1992 and has been married for decades, has denied the women’s accusations and has not been criminally charged.
In papers filed in US District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ruehli repeated claims she made in an interview with Philadelphia Magazine, last year.
A woman from Windham, New Hampshire, who has accused Bill Cosby of raping her has now filed a defamation lawsuit against him.
Bill Cosby was sued by another alleged victim yesterday, after a trial court opened the door to defamation claims against the comedian. The statute of limitations has expired in most of the cases.
Ruehli says Cosby gave her cocktails, which she believes contained drugs, and she lost consciousness.
She says Cosby invited her and others to a party at his home but when she arrived there were few people there, his wife was out of town and a baby was asleep in a bedroom. She says she woke up naked in bed to find Cosby attempting to force her into oral sex.
Cosby admitted under oath that he obtained Quaaludes in the 1970s and meant to give them to women with whom he wanted to have sex.
She says she left the house after becoming nauseous and vomiting several times.
In response, a Cosby attorney released a statement calling the claims “unsubstantiated, fantastical stories” and adding that “there has never been a shortage of lawyers willing to represent people with claims against rich, powerful men”.
Ruehli’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
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Monday’s lawsuit contends that Cosby defamed Ruehli with that statement.
