Bill Cosby accuser files new lawsuit under expiring New York survivors law
Nov 17
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By CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press
A woman who said Bill Cosby sexually assaulted her when she was a young comedy writer more than 50 years ago filed a lawsuit against the actor Thursday under a soon-to-expire New York law that gave victims of sexual abuse a one-year window for claims that would otherwise be barred by time limits.
The New York resident was living in California at the time of the first assault and had met Cosby through a mutual friend while he was starring in ``The Bill Cosby Show,`` according to the lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in New York City.
A spokesperson for Cosby did not address the specifics of Tarshis`s claims.
"Diddy, LA Reid, Steven Tyler, and now they circle back to this,`` spokesperson Andrew Wyatt said, referring to others recently sued under New York`s Adult Survivors Act. ``When is it going to stop?"
Cosby, 86, has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment by more than 60 women. He has denied all allegations involving sex crimes. He was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era and spent nearly three years at a state prison near Philadelphia before a higher court overturned the conviction and released him in 2021.
Tarshis was among the first accusers to speak publicly about Cosby, whom she met when she was 19 and just breaking into comedy writing. An interview she did with CNN newsman Don Lemon soon after she came forward drew a flurry of attention on social media, and an apology from Lemon. While on-air, the host suggested Tarshis could have bitten Cosby on his genitals during the first assault, something Tarshis said she hadn`t thought of.
Tarshis previously sued Cosby in Massachusetts, where Cosby had a home.
By The Associated Press, Copyright 2023
