Bill Cosby has been released from jail, but his legal troubles are far from over. After his 2018 conviction decision was overturned on a legal technicality earlier this year, another suit has been filed against the former comedian.
New reports indicate that Lili Bernard, an actress who had previously worked alongside Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show, is officially suing her former co-star for sexual assault for “no less than” $25 million. She claims that Bill Cosby drugged and assaulted her at a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1990. According to Lili Bernard, he threatened to “erase” her acting career if she attempted to tell anyone about the incident. Per Yahoo!, she has reportedly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety since the alleged event.
While Lili Bernard spoke out against Bill Cosby when he was first accused in 2015, her case was thrown out due to the former statute of limitations. However, New Jersey recently implemented a two-year ‘look back’ policy that allows sexual assault victims to prosecute their abusers in civil court no matter when the alleged harassment took place. In an official statement, Lili Bernard explained the rationale behind her decision to pursue her case. She said:
I have waited a long time to be able to pursue my case in court and I look forward to being heard and to hold Cosby accountable for what he did to me. Although it occurred long ago, I still live with the fear, pain and shame every day of my life.
Bill Cosby was among the first Hollywood heavyweight to be accused of assault as part of what became known as the #MeToo movement. After 60 women spoke out against him, Bill Cosby was originally convicted of drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand in 2018. After serving three years of his ten year sentence, however, his conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The news broke wide and Cosby's former The Cosby Show co-star even made waves when she commented. At the time, the judges held that Bill Cosby’s initial prosecutor was bound by a previous agreement to not sue the former actor. He was released from prison last June.
Andrew Wyatt, Bill Cosby’s legal representation, holds that the actor is maintaining his innocence and intends to fight any new charges. The publicist also told Yahoo! Entertainment:
These look back provisions are unconstitutional and they are a sheer violation of an individual's constitutional rights and denies that individual of their due 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 these United States of America.
No official court dates for the new case have been announced. This story is currently developing, so check back for updates as they occur.
