A woman has filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Bill Cosby alleging he drugged and raped her over three decades ago after a spate of fresh charges emerged against the disgraced comedian.
Stacey Pinkerton said Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1986 and filed the lawsuit against him along with NBCUniversal and other companies on Friday.
The former comedian and actor was sued by five other women just weeks ago.
Ms Pinkerton said she was a 21-year-old flight attendant and model in 1986 when Cosby allegedly drugged her at a restaurant in Illinois and took her back to a hotel room in Chicago.
The lawsuit stated Cosby “engaged in forced sexual intercourse” with her while she was incapacitated from the drugs.
Ms Pinkerton, in her lawsuit, said the alleged assault happened after she met Cosby in New York and he promised to help her career.
She said she had a role in an episode of The Cosby Show on NBC but did not appear in the final edit.
Months after the alleged assault, Ms Pinkerton said Cosby invited her to his show at a Chicago theatre, where she claims he forcefully kissed and touched her.
“Cosby engaged in the same or similar pattern of conduct with his victims,” Pinkerton’s lawsuit said, “including expressing interest in advancing their careers, giving them roles on The Cosby Show, using The Cosby Show and its filming locations as a means to access, isolate, sexually harass, and sexually assault women, using drugs to incapacitate his victims, and forcibly engaging in sexual acts with them without their consent.”
The lawsuit also alleges NBC, Kaufman Astoria Studios and Carsey-Werner Television should have known Cosby was a danger to women and failed to protect Ms Pinkerton from him.
The new case comes after Cosby was served with another lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault earlier this month. The suit was filed on 5 December by five women who had previously alleged the disgraced actor and comedian had abused them.
The 85-year-old was convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania in 2018. But his sentence was overturned and he left prison last year.
Earlier this year, a Los Angeles jury awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion when she was a teenager in 1975.
Seven other accusers also received a settlement from Cosby’s insurers in the wake of the Pennsylvania conviction over a defamation lawsuit they had filed in Massachusetts.
Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt said on Friday night that he “continues to vehemently deny all allegations waged against him and looks forward to defending himself in court.”
“As we have always stated, and now America can see, this isn’t about justice for victims of alleged sexual assault, it’s ALL ABOUT MONEY,” Mr Wyatt was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
“We believe that the courts, as well as the court of public opinion, will follow the rules of law and relieve Mr Cosby of these alleged accusations.”
Cosby has reportedly been planning a comedy tour despite the lawsuits brought against him.
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk.
If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
