Bill Cosby, the once-revered actor, finds himself again embroiled in legal troubles as a fresh lawsuit accuses him of sexual assault that allegedly occurred over half a century ago.
Former Playboy model and actress Victoria Valentino has launched a lawsuit against Cosby, capitalizing on a new law in California. This law offers a three-year period for filing a civil lawsuit concerning sexual assault, even if the typical statute of limitations has elapsed.
The pioneering lawsuit, lodged in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, argues that Cosby sexually assaulted Valentino nearly 54 years ago.
The lawsuit narrates that Cosby came across a distraught Valentino in a Los Angeles café, who was grieving the loss of her son due to drowning. Cosby proposed to cover the costs of a spa day for Valentino and her companion and later arranged for his car to fetch them for dinner at a steakhouse. According to Valentino, Cosby then provided each of them a pill, assuring them it would uplift their spirits.
The court documents further detail that Valentino's head started to bob, and she fought to stay awake following the pill's ingestion. She felt sick and experienced a spinning sensation. Her request to return home was met with Cosby driving both women to his office, alleges Valentino. Here, she lost consciousness on a couch, only to awaken to the sight of her friend, whose identity remains undisclosed, being assaulted by the actor.
According to the documents, Valentino was then subjected to forced sexual intercourse by Cosby while she was incapacitated due to the drug. The lawsuit maintains that Valentino was "physically helpless and incapable of giving consent due to being drugged by Cosby."
Valentino seeks general, special, and punitive damages, along with attorney and court fees, from Cosby. She emphasizes that the lawsuit isn't about financial gain, but rather accountability. "Rape steals something from you that cannot be repaired or restored," Valentino said, as quoted by The Washington Post.
Cosby, 85, is no stranger to allegations of sexual assault. He was convicted in 2005 following a history of multiple accusations spanning decades. The comedian turned actor was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018 for three counts of aggravated indecent assault, but only served around three years before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the verdict.
The ruling was based on an agreement Cosby had made with former Montgomery County district attorney Bruce Castor in 2005, which granted him immunity from criminal prosecution if he participated in a deposition for a civil lawsuit brought by accuser Andrea Constand. The court held that the use of Cosby's deposition against him violated his Fifth Amendment rights, and was akin to "an unconstitutional 'coercive bait-and-switch,'" constituting a "due process violation."
Despite Cosby's denials, more than 60 women have come forward with accusations of sexual assault against the actor outside the courtroom.