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Tag: bill cosby

  • Bill Cosby lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean to appeal $500,000 verdict

    Manhattan-based lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, who is counsel to American stand-up comedian, Bill Cosby, has said within a few weeks, they would be in Judge Craig D. Karlan court to appeal the $500,000 verdict that found his client guilty of having sexually abused Judy Huth when she was 16 years old in 1975.

     

    “Yesterday actor and comedian Bill Cosby was awarded an astonishing victory by jurors in a civil trial brought by Judy Huth. The jurors decided to grant Judy Huth a $500,000 verdict but voted 9-3 in favor of not rewarding Ms. Huth any punitive damages.” reads a statement from Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt.

     

    In the wake of the verdict, Cosby’s team called it an “astonishing victory.”, stating Huth will “never receive a payday.”

     

    It’s strange to consider a verdict that confirms Cosby sexually assaulted a minor as any sort of victory. However, the part they seem to celebrate concerns the punitive damages, which if awarded would have deemed Cosby acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud”—meaning he would have to pay a lot more money.

     

    “Within a few weeks, Attorney Jennifer Bonjean will be in Judge Craig D. Karlan court to appeal the $500,000 verdict, which means that Ms. Huth will never receive a payday from Mr. Cosby and her estimated mounting legal bills ($3 million plus dollars) with Allred, Maroko & Goldberg will be outstanding for many years to come,” the statement says. “If the jurors had awarded punitive damages to Judy Huth it would have been in the range of $10 million plus dollars, which would have been a devastating loss to our legal efforts and the Cosby family,” the statement added,

    Cosby

     

    Huth’s representation, the attorney and women’s rights activist Gloria Allred pushes back against Cosby’s statements, saying he “should be held and was held accountable for what he did to her.”

     

    “Mr. Cosby’s spokesperson appears to be trying to snatch victory from the jaws of Mr. Cosby’s significant defeat. Ms. Huth has no legal bills for fees with my law firm. The $3 million legal bill that Mr. Wyatt cited appears to be a figment of his imagination. In the alternative, it may be that that the $3 million amount is what Mr. Cosby had to spend to hire countless lawyers over the years in his unsuccessful effort to defend himself from Ms. Huth’s lawsuit.” Allred said.

     

    Additionally in his statement, Cosby claims to have spoken with two jurors following the verdict, who told him, “You didn’t deserve to be in this court.”

     

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the jurors voted overwhelmingly in his favor on all questions, and “did not agree with the majority of the jury on questions regarding Cosby’s conduct to be harmful or sexually offensive.”

     

    “Mr. Cosby along with his team has always remained steadfast in his innocence and we never played in the sewer nor gutter; but most importantly, we stayed on the mountain top of ethics, integrity, truth and facts,” Cosby’s spokesperson says.

     

    Adding: “The Cosbys are thankful to those particular jurors who removed their bias and ruled on the evidence and facts of this case.”

  • Bill Cosby: Comedian found guilty for sex assault of teen at Playboy Mansion

    American stand-up comedian and actor, William Henry Cosby Jr., popularly known as Bill Cosby, has been found guilty for sexually assaulting a woman, Judy Huth, at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was a teenager.

     

    Ms Huth is now 64 and Cosby, 84.

     

    The jury in the civil case against him awarded Ms Huth $500,000 (£407,000) in damages for emotional distress.

     

    The decision is a major legal defeat for the 84-year-old entertainer once hailed as “America’s dad”.

     

    It came just 11 months after Cosby was freed from prison after Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out his sexual assault conviction in a different criminal case there.

     

    The actor had served more than two years of a three-to-10-year sentence.

    Cosby
    Judy Huth and Bill Cosby

     

    Ms Huth had told the Santa Monica civil courthouse in Los Angeles that Cosby invited her and a friend to the Playboy Mansion when she was 16, and he was 37, and forced her to perform a sex act.

     

    She said she suffered years after the incident when multiple allegations against Cosby from other women helped stir up memories of that day.

     

    In video testimony shown to jurors, Cosby said he did not remember Ms Huth. But he said the incident could not have happened because he would not have pursued sexual contact at that time with someone who was under 18.

     

    Cosby’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, challenged Ms Huth’s account throughout the trial, including her revised timeline.

     

     

    When the lawsuit was filed in December 2014, Ms Huth said the incident occurred in 1974, when she was 15. She told jurors she recently concluded she had been mistaken about the year and now believes it happened in 1975.

     

    Cosby, a ground-breaking black actor who grew up in public housing in Philadelphia, made a fortune estimated at $400m (£290m) during his 50 years in the entertainment industry.

     

    Five decades of claims

    He is best known for his role as the lovable husband and father in the 1980s television comedy series The Cosby Show.

     

    But his family-friendly reputation was shattered after more than 50 women accused him of sexual assaults they claimed happened over nearly five decades.

     

    He was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era.

     

    Cosby began his career as a stand-up comic at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco during the 1960s.

     

    Throughout the decade he released several standup comedy records which consecutively earned him the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album from 1965 to 1970.

     

    He also had a starring role in the television crime show I Spy (1965–1968) opposite Robert Culp.

     

    Cosby made history when he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1966, making him the first African American to earn an Emmy Award for acting.

     

    His acting career continued as he starred in the sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, which ran for two seasons from 1969 to 1971.

     

    In 1972, using the Fat Albert character developed during his stand-up routines, Cosby created, produced, and hosted the animated comedy television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids which ran until 1985, centering on a group of young friends growing up in an urban area.

     

    Throughout the 1970s, Cosby starred in various films including Sidney Poitier’s Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and Let’s Do It Again (1975), and Neil Simon’s California Suite (1978) alongside Richard Pryor.

     

    He also starred in the original cast of The Electric Company alongside Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman from 1971 to 1973.

     

    In 1976, he earned his Doctor of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, returning to the school after completing his Masters of Arts there in 1972.

     

    Beginning in the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in the television sitcom The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992 and was rated as the number one show in America from 1985 through 1989.

     

    The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family. During this time, Cosby gained a reputation as “America’s Dad” for his portrayal of Cliff Huxtable. Cosby produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993.

     

    He also starred in The Cosby Mysteries (1994-1995), the sitcom Cosby (1996–2000) and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998–2000). He then created and produced the animated children’s program Little Bill (2000–2004).

     

    In 2014, Cosby became the subject of numerous sexual assault allegations which became highly publicized during the Me Too movement.

     

    In 2018, Cosby was convicted of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand.

     

    He was imprisoned until the conviction was vacated in June 2021, by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for violations of Cosby’s 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment due process rights.

     

    In November 2021, the prosecution petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to reverse this decision, but on March 7, 2022, the Supreme Court declined to do so.

  • I never admitted drugging women for sex – Bill Cosby

    I never admitted drugging women for sex – Bill Cosby

    Popular American comedian and actor, Bill Cosby has issued another statement following his release from prison.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Cosby was released days ago after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction, ruling that the comedian could not be prosecuted for the same crime again.

    Cosby, took to his Twitter page denying both “non-consensual” sex and “drugging” women in a thread.

     

    He accused the media of sharing false reports and taking his words out of context.

    His tweets read: “In response to the rhetoric that the media keeps pushing, Bill Cosby never admitted in his deposition testimony, or anywhere else, to non-consensual sexual contact with any woman and/or the drugging of anyone.”

    Cosby restated his innocence, adding that he has never admitted to spiking drinks, as widely reported in the media.

    “Cosby has never admitted to spiking drinks, as the media would like you to believe. He has steadfastly maintained his innocence, before and after being falsely convicted of aggravated indecent assault,” the statement read.

     

    He warned the media against misleading the public about his case.

    “Mainstream media has irresponsibly, egregiously, and inexcusably misled the public with out of context coverage regarding Bill Cosby’s deposition testimony. This shall serve as a grave reminder of the consequences that come with lying to the American people to satisfy an agenda,” the statement added.

     

  • Court overturns Bill Cosby sexual assault conviction, orders release

    Court overturns Bill Cosby sexual assault conviction, orders release

    Pennsylvania’s highest court on Wednesday overturned Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction and ordered that he be released from prison immediately.

    The decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court came after Cosby had served more than two years of a potential three- to 10-year sentence, following his 2018 conviction.

    The court found that a previous prosecutor had made a deal with Cosby not to charge him in the case.

    The comedian and actor was best known for his role as the lovable husband and father in the 1980s television comedy series “The Cosby Show,” earning him the nickname “America’s Dad.”

    But his family-friendly reputation was shattered after dozens of women accused him of sexual assault over a period of decades. His conviction was widely seen as a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement that brought forth an array of allegations against powerful men in Hollywood and beyond.

    Cosby was found guilty of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his home in 2004 after giving her unidentified pills.

  • Actor Janice Dickinson’s defamation suit against Bill Cosby settled

    Actor Janice Dickinson reached a settlement with Bill Cosby”s insurance company on Thursday, ending a civil lawsuit she filed against the comedian after his representatives disputed her account that he had raped her.
    Dickinson, a successful model in the 1970s and 1980s who also appeared in several television shows, is one of dozens of women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault. Some of the allegations date back decades.
    Her attorneys reached an agreement with Cosby’s insurer, American International Group Inc (AIG), despite objections from his lawyers; her lawyer said on Thursday.
    Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
    A representative for AIG declined to comment.
    Cosby, the once-beloved star of American hit television sitcom “The Cosby Show,” was convicted last year of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting a former friend, Andrea Constand.
    He is serving a three to 10 year prison sentence in Pennsylvania.
    “Janice Dickinson and all of the Bill Cosby accusers, most of whom came out in 2014, some of them as early as 2005, were really pioneers and paved the way for the #MeToo movement,” Dickinson’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, said at a news conference in Los Angeles.
     
    The #MeToo movement refers to the wave of women who went public in 2017 with allegations of assault and sexual harassment at the hands of powerful men in media, politics and business. The revelations led to job dismissals, contract cancellations and in some cases criminal charges.
    Cosby’s spokesman Andrew Wyatt said in a statement that if the case had proceeded to trial, a jury would have found Dickinson did not suffer defamation.
    Dickinson’s lawsuit followed a 2014 television interview in which she accused Cosby of raping her in 1982. Prosecutors were unable to pursue criminal charges because statute of limitations laws prohibit prosecutions on years-old allegations.
    Martin Singer, who represented Cosby at the time, sent letters to other media outlets warning them not to publish Dickinson’s “defamatory fabrication,” adding that she was “seeking publicity to bolster her fading career.”
    A subsequent news release from Cosby’s team said Dickinson was lying and in 2015 she sued for defamation, claiming the letter and news release aimed to destroy her reputation.
    Cosby’s attorneys, in seeking to have the civil lawsuit dismissed, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected the case.
    “Truthfully, a settlement is a victory and certainly a measure of justice and helps me sleep better, but in reality nothing can ever erase the experience and memories of an assault,” Dickinson said at the news conference.
    Last month, Cosby’s attorneys urged the appellate-level Pennsylvania Superior Court to either throw out his guilty verdict in the Constand case or grant him a new trial.
    Pennsylvania prosecutors were expected to file legal papers on Thursday countering Cosby’s appeal.

  • Bill Cosby lectures fellow inmates on parenting, drug Use

    Bill Cosby lectures fellow inmates on parenting, drug Use

    American stand-up comedian and actor, Bill Cosby 81, is dishing out parenting, drug use and life advice to his fellow inmates.

    Cosby was convicted in 2018 to three to 10 years in a state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, as well as aggravated indecent assault.

    His rep, Andrew Wyatt, says the famous inmate’s a busy man behind bars with as many as four lectures per week, says TMZ.
    “ He’s been doing this for around 3 months with crowds that often swell to more than 100 fellow prisoners.’’

    Cosby’s pitch that the inmate’s lead by example for their kids and stay outta prison in the future, further encouraging them to re-bond with their kids immediately upon getting out.

    The actor works most with a group called “Man Up” inmates set for parole talking life lessons, keeping out of trouble and not getting locked up again.

    “We’re told Cosby’s also lecturing on finding work post-prison, giving them tips on interviewing techniques. He also lectures on substance abuse tips on how to stay clean.

    He got skewered on social media for his Father’s Day tweet for calling himself “America’s Dad” but the comedian truly embraces the title in prison.

  • BREAKING: Bill Cosby found guilty on all charges in sexual assault trial

    Bill Cosby has been convicted of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

    A jury outside Philadelphia convicted the “Cosby Show” star of three counts of aggravated indecent assault on Thursday. The guilty verdict came less than a year after another jury deadlocked on the charges.

    Cosby was charged with violating Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. His lawyer called Constand a “con artist” who leveled false accusations against Cosby so she could sue him.

    osby could get up to 10 years in prison on each of the counts.

    Dozens of women have come forward in recent years to say he drugged and assaulted them. Five of the other accusers testified against him at the retrial.

    The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission. Constand has done so

  • A female protester goes nude, rushes Bill Cosby at sexual assault trial

    A female protester goes nude, rushes Bill Cosby at sexual assault trial

    On the first day of disgraced comedian Bill Cosby’s retrial on indecent sexual assault charges Monday, a topless female protester with names of his accusers scrawled on her body charged the 80-year-old as he walked into Montgomery County Courthouse.

    The female protester was shouting, “Women’s Lives Matter,” which was also written on her body, the woman hopped the fence and ran topless toward Cosby.

    Police officers nearby guarding the area were able to tackle the woman into the bushes before she could intercept Cosby.

    Watch the video:

    Cosby stands charged with the alleged indecent sexual assault of former Temple employee Andrea Constand in his Elkins Park mansion in 2004.

    Montco prosecutors investigated and chose not pursue Constand’s claim when first filed with law enforcement. In 2014, new Montco DA Kevin Steele reopened the case and charged Cosby.

    At his first trial last year, the jury deadlocked.

    Metro

  • Bill Cosby goes on trial for sexual assault

    Bill Cosby goes on trial for sexual assault

    For decades Bill Cosby was “America’s Dad,” loved by millions for his role as an affable doctor and benevolent father on long-running hit TV sitcom “The Cosby Show.”

    On Monday the disgraced 79-year-old goes on trial for aggravated indecent assault, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a former university basketball director at his home in Philadelphia 13 years ago.

    Some 60 women have since emerged to publicly accuse Cosby of four decades of serial sexual abuse — pulverizing his reputation, ending his career and cementing a brutal fall from grace for an actor who shattered racial barriers.

    In remarkably similar allegations the women say that the pioneering black comedian gave them sedatives and alcohol, which left them powerless to resist his advances.

    But the trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania is likely to be the only criminal case brought against Cosby, formerly one of America’s most popular entertainers, as the vast majority of alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute.

    A 12-person jury in the Montgomery County Courthouse will decide Cosby’s guilt or innocence in a trial expected to last two weeks.

    If convicted, he risks spending the rest of his life behind bars on a minimum 10-year sentence and a $25,000 fine.

    His accuser is Andrea Constand, 44, who at the time was director of basketball operations at Temple University, Cosby’s alma mater.

    The comedian served on the university’s Board of Trustees until his resignation under an avalanche of scandal in 2014.

    Constand alleges that Cosby plied her with pills and wine, and then sexually assaulted her when she went to his home in early 2004 to discuss plans to move to Canada and switch careers.