14th October, 2021
A woman, Lili Bernard who alleges Bill Cosby sexually assaulted her multiple times 31 years ago has filed a federal lawsuit against the comedian, demanding $225M in damages.
The money according to the suit is compensation for the “psychological, mental, and physical trauma,” she suffered.
The lawsuit was filed today in federal court in New Jersey, the Insider reported.
Lili Bernard claims she first met Cosby on the set of “The Cosby Show” and that he “offered to be a mentor” for her acting career.
Bernard and Cosby started meeting for acting coaching sessions, and it was in one of these sessions at the end of July 1990 that Bernard alleges she was first sexually assaulted by Cosby.
Bernard alleges Cosby grabbed her “rib cage and diaphragm without her permission” during a vocal exercise, then “grabbed and squeezed” her breasts. When Bernard confronted him about it, Cosby “feigned innocence and acted insulted,” according to the lawsuit.
Bernard is among dozens of women who’ve accused Cosby of sexual misconduct over the years.
In 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for the 2004 assault of Andrea Constand.
However, he was released from prison in June when that conviction was vacated.
Cosby’s spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, told Insider in a statement that Bernard’s lawsuit is “just another attempt to abuse the legal process.”
“Mr. Cosby continues to maintain steadfast in his innocence and will vigorously fight ANY alleged allegations waged against him and is willing and able to take this fight to the highest court in this United States of America,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt also pointed out that a New Jersey prosecutor had terminated an investigation into Bernard’s claims in 2015 because they were past the statue of limitations.
But Jason Merson, an attorney for Bernard, told Insider that won’t be “an issue” in this case because New Jersey doesn’t have a statue of limitations when it comes to sexual assault victims suing their attackers.
The most harrowing details in Bernard’s lawsuit centre on a trip the two took to Atlantic City in August 1990.
Bernard says Cosby convinced her to go, saying he wanted to introduce her to a producer who would help her career.
Bernard says she went back to Cosby’s suite after the dinner meeting, where he proceeded to fix her a “supposedly non-alcoholic beverage.”
After drinking the beverage, Bernard “began to feel symptoms of dizziness, an urge to vomit, and weakness,” the lawsuit says.
Bernard says Cosby helped her to the restroom and said “Daddy’s going to get you something to feel better,” before leaving the room. She then vomited and lost consciousness, the lawsuit states.
Bernard awoke to Cosby undressing her, the lawsuit says. She says she told him no, but he continued to undress her, and she lost consciousness again.
The next time she awoke, Cosby was “naked atop her, vaginally raping her with his penis,” the lawsuit alleges.
Read all in Insider