- Title: PEOPLE-BILL COSBY Three more women accuse Bill Cosby of decades-old assaults
- Date: 12th August 2015
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 12, 2015) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE WITH ATTORNEY GLORIA ALLRED AND WOMEN WHO ACCUSE BILL COSBY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTORNEY GLORIA ALLRED SAYING: "Recently New York magazine had a photograph on their cover of more than 30 women who had come forward publicly to accuse Bill Cosby of having victimized them. That cover also features an empty chair. Which in the opinion of many people, represented all of the accusers who have not yet come forward. Today that empty chair is filled by three new women." ALLEGED VICTIMS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTORNEY GLORIA ALLRED SAYING: "Linda alleges that the following happened: She says I felt Cosby's left hand gently grab my long hair behind my head. His giant frame blocked the door so that if anyone tried to enter, they would not be able to see what he was doing. As I looked up, his penis was out of his pants and he shoved it into my mouth. His attack was fast, with surgical precision and surprise was on his side." (SOUNDBITE) (English) LINDA RIDGEWAY WHITEDEER, WOMAN CLAIMING SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY BILL COSBY, SAYING: "I couldn't breathe. I was in shock. I thought of the boy possibly outside the door. When Cosby was done, there was a horrible mess of semen all over my face, my clothes, and in my hair. He took out a Kleenex to try and wipe off my face. I was bordering between vomiting and passing out. He was mumbling that I had been blessed with his semen as if it was holy water." (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLLEEN HUGHES, WOMAN CLAIMING SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY BILL COSBY, SAYING: "I was shocked. I didn't know how I had lost so much time. My boyfriend, who later became my fiance and husband, was supposed to pick me up at six o'clock. My clothes were thrown all over the room and I felt semen on the small of my back and all over me. It was disgusting. Bill obviously did not use a condom and there was no lunch and Bill was nowhere to be seen. I was confused and ashamed and never told anyone about what had happened to me." ALLEGED VICTIMS HUGGING EACH OTHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDEN TIRL, WOMAN CLAIMING SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY BILL COSBY, SAYING: "He began to move our hands together like an exercise many actors know as the mirror exercise. I played along and made sure his lower body stayed away from my bottom. When he was finished with this, he then pulled me into him, wrapped both our arms around me like lovers would, and whispered in my ear, 'See, this is all that we were going to do, make love. This is making love.' He turned me around, hugged me, and I left without saying a word." WIDE OF CONFERENCE ALLEGED VICTIMS POSING FOR PHOTOS AND HOLDING PICTURES OF THEIR YOUNGER SELVES
- Embargoed: 27th August 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA2UO3V8VEPET964ZG7IXMJOS7A
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: SOUNDBITES CONTAIN GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS
Three more women accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault on Wednesday (August 12), providing detailed allegations of abuse they said the veteran television star subjected them to decades ago.
Colleen Hughes and Linda Ridgeway Whitedeer said Cosby had sexually assaulted them in the early 1970s, while Eden Tirl said he sexually harassed her on "The Cosby Show" set in 1989.
The women were speaking at a news conference hosted by celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who represents 21 of the more than 40 women who have come forward in the past year accusing Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them.
New York Magazine interviewed and profiled 35 of Cosby's accusers in a July cover story that featured an empty chair next to the rows of women. The chair sparked questions on how many more women may have similar allegations against the comedian.
Ridgeway Whitedeer said Cosby forced her into a sex act in 1971 when she met him for an interview on a movie set. At the time, she said, she was an aspiring actress and had been married for a while to a television agent who also worked for the comedian.
"When Cosby was done, there was a horrible mess of semen all over my face, my clothes, and in my hair. He took out a Kleenex to try and wipe off my face. I was bordering between vomiting and passing out. He was mumbling that I had been blessed with his semen as if it was holy water," said Ridgeway Whitedeer.
Hughes, a former American Airlines flight attendant, said she encountered Cosby on a flight to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, and he accompanied her to her hotel. She said she lost consciousness for a few hours after drinking champagne with the comedian.
"My clothes were thrown all over the room and I felt semen on the small of my back and all over me. It was disgusting. Bill obviously did not use a condom."
Tirl, a former model, said she was guest-starring as a police officer on "The Cosby Show" in 1989 when Cosby sexually harassed her in his dressing room.
Representatives for Cosby did not respond for comment on Wednesday, and Cosby has never been charged.
Los Angeles police are currently conducting a criminal investigation into a complaint brought against Cosby, who has canceled TV projects and live shows due to the momentum of allegations.
Last month, Cosby lost a bid to fend off a lawsuit that accused him of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles in 1974. He will answer questions under oath at a deposition on October 9. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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