Former Playboy model accuses Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1969
June 1, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Playboy model who alleges Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her and another woman at his home in 1969 sued him Thursday under a new California law that suspends the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims.
Another woman files sex abuse lawsuit against Cosby, NBC
December 31, 2022 GMTA woman who alleges Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1986 sued the comedian-actor, NBCUniversal and other companies Friday in New York, where five other women filed a similar lawsuit earlier this month.
Cosby, NBC, studio face new sex abuse lawsuit from 5 in NY
December 6, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Five women who have long accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them early in their careers have filed the latest lawsuit against the 85-year-old comedian — and this one calls NBCUniversal, a studio and a production company complicit in the abuse.
5 years on, key #MeToo voices take stock of the movement
October 15, 2022 GMTOnce again, disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein sits in a courtroom, on trial in Los Angeles while the reckoning the accusations against him launched marks a significant milestone this month: It's been five years since a brief hashtag — #MeToo — galvanized a broad social movement.
Today in History: September 25, Sandra Day O’Connor sworn in
September 25, 2022 GMTToday in History
Today is Sunday, Sept. 25, the 268th day of 2022. There are 97 days left in the year.
Timeline of Roman Polanski’s 45-year-old teen sex abuse case
July 18, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The case involving Roman Polanski, who fled the United States after he forced himself on a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot, has spanned 45 years, sparking court battles on both sides of the Atlantic.
Today in History: June 30, ERA expires
June 30, 2022 GMTToday in History
Today is Thursday, June 30, the 181st day of 2022. There are 184 days left in the year.
ShowBiz Minute: Cosby, Bieber, Presley
June 22, 2022 GMTCivil jury finds Bill Cosby sexually abused teenager in 1975
June 22, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Jurors at a civil trial found Tuesday that Bill Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975.
Bill Cosby civil trial jury must start deliberations over
June 20, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — After two days of deliberations in which they reached verdicts on nearly all of the questions put before them, jurors in a civil trial who were deciding on sexual abuse allegations against Bill Cosby will have to start from scratch on Monday.
Today in History: June 17, South Carolina church shooting
June 17, 2022 GMTToday in History
Today is Friday, June 17, the 168th day of 2022. There are 197 days left in the year.
Cosby lawyer urges jurors to consider only proof from trial
June 16, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — A lawyer for Bill Cosby told jurors they need to look past years of public accusations against the actor and comedian and consider only the evidence presented by a woman who says he sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was 16 years old.
Cosby in video testimony denies sex abuse of teen in 1970s
June 9, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — In video testimony played for jurors Wednesday at a civil trial, Bill Cosby denies sexually abusing a teenage girl at the Playboy Mansion in the mid-1970s.
Bill Cosby’s civil trial accuser says he molested her at 16
June 8, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Judy Huth recalled being distraught while describing an allegation that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted her near a game room at the Playboy Mansion in 1975.
While shedding tears, Huth testified in a civil trial against Cosby on Tuesday that he molested her when she was 16.
‘Donkey Kong defense’ arises at Bill Cosby sex abuse trial
June 7, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — The “Donkey Kong defense” came into play Monday at a civil trial over sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, as his attorney pressed a key witness over previous statements that she had played the arcade game during a visit with Cosby to the Playboy Mansion in 1975, six years before its release.
Woman testifies Cosby forcibly kissed her when she was 14
June 4, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — A woman testified Friday that she was 14 when Bill Cosby took her into a trailer on a movie set in 1975, grabbed her so she couldn't move her arms, and kissed her.
Depp-Heard trial: Advocates fear chilling effect on accusers
June 3, 2022 GMTThe call came Thursday, only a day after the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard verdict, to a free legal clinic for domestic violence victims in Athens, Georgia.
Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction upheld by appeals court
June 2, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court on Thursday upheld Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction and 23-year prison sentence, rejecting the former movie mogul’s claim that the judge at his landmark #MeToo trial unfairly allowed women to testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Distraught teen told of Cosby sex abuse, friend testifies
June 2, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Sixteen-year-old Judy Huth was deeply distraught minutes after Bill Cosby is alleged to have sexually abused her on an afternoon in 1975 at the Playboy Mansion, her best friend at the time testified Wednesday.
EXPLAINER: A look at Bill Cosby’s sexual assault civil trial
May 31, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Eleven months after he was freed from prison when a Pennsylvania appeals court threw out his criminal conviction, Bill Cosby, 85, will again be the defendant in a trial over sexual assault allegations.
Bill Cosby lawyers cry foul as civil sex assault trial looms
May 17, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — With jury selection less than a week away, attorneys scrambled to deal with shifting evidence Tuesday in Bill Cosby’s civil trial over allegations that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl at the Playboy mansion nearly 50 years ago.
Mario Batali acquittal underscores perils of #MeToo cases
May 11, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Bill Cosby was released from prison when his conviction that he drugged and assaulted a woman was overturned.
Will Smith resigns from film academy over Chris Rock slap
April 2, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith resigned Friday from the motion picture academy following his Oscars night slap of Chris Rock and said he would accept any further punishment the organization imposed.
Academy: Will Smith refused to leave Oscars after Rock slap
March 31, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Wednesday said that Will Smith was asked to leave Sunday's Oscar ceremony after hitting Chris Rock but refused to do so.
Supreme Court won’t review decision that freed Bill Cosby
March 7, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court quietly announced Monday that it would not review Bill Cosby's sexual assault case, leaving him a free man and ending a two-decade legal drama that shifted the cultural landscape, destroyed the groundbreaking Black actor’s reputation, and sent him to prison for several years late in life.
Take the 5th? The choice could soon be Trump’s in NY probe
February 18, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — To plead the Fifth, or not to plead the Fifth?
That is the question Donald Trump may face after a New York judge ordered the former president to testify in a long-running state civil investigation into his business practices.
Bill Cosby likely to avoid testifying in sex assault lawsuit
February 4, 2022 GMTSANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — A Los Angeles judge on Friday appeared strongly inclined to allow Bill Cosby to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege and avoid giving a deposition in the lawsuit of a woman who alleges he sexually abused her when she was 15 in the mid-1970s.
10 movies you’ll want to see from the Sundance Film Festival
February 1, 2022 GMTDispatches from the Sundance Film Festival are usually accompanied by descriptions of the looming mountains, snowy premieres and frantic bus shuttles. This year's Sundance, which played out entirely virtually due to the COVID-19 surge driven by the omicron variant, meant less evocative screening circumstances: Laptops, digital links and Zooms.
Cosby asks Supreme Court not to revive sexual assault case
January 31, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — A lawyer for Bill Cosby asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to reject a bid by prosecutors to revive his criminal sex assault case.
The 84-year-old actor and comedian has been free since June, when a Pennsylvania appeals court overturned his conviction and released him from prison after nearly three years.
Louie Anderson, comic, Emmy winner for ‘Baskets,’ dies at 68
January 22, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Louie Anderson, whose four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series “Baskets,” died Friday.
Judge heard on video mocking lawyer removed from court
January 19, 2022 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois judge who made sexist comments about an attorney during a conversation in his courtroom that he did not realize was being broadcast live on YouTube has been removed from the bench, officials announced Wednesday.
The Sundance Film Festival is back and online once more
January 19, 2022 GMTThe lights may be dim at the Eccles Theater and Park City's Main Street will have fewer cinephiles packing the snowy sidewalks when the Sundance Film Festival begins its 44th edition Thursday night.
Illinois judge disparaged lawyer in comments caught on video
January 14, 2022 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois judge could be facing discipline after he mocked an attorney in comments that he apparently did not realize were being broadcast live on YouTube.
Cook County Judge William Raines made the comments about attorney Jennifer Bonjean after she appeared before him during a court call.
Jason Momoa, Lisa Bonet split after 16 years together
January 13, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Jason Momoa and wife Lisa Bonet have ended their 16-year relationship.
A joint statement posted on the “Aquaman" star's Instagram page Wednesday that he and his wife were parting ways.
Oscar winner and groundbreaking star Sidney Poitier dies
January 8, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor and enduring inspiration who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen, and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw, has died.
Today in History
December 30, 2021 GMTToday in History
Today is Thursday, Dec. 30, the 364th day of 2021. There is one day left in the year.
Appellate judges raise doubts about Weinstein’s conviction
December 16, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court blasted Manhattan prosecutors Wednesday for filling out Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial last year with what one judge deemed “incredibly prejudicial testimony” from women whose allegations weren’t part of the criminal charges against him — a strategy that now has the potential to jeopardize the disgraced movie mogul’s conviction.
Sundance Film Fest unveils lineup for hybrid 2022 edition
December 9, 2021 GMTThe Sundance Film Festival is returning to the Utah mountains in January armed with documentaries about Bill Cosby, Princess Diana, Kanye West and Lucille Ball and the directorial debuts of Eva Longoria, Tig Notaro and Jesse Eisenberg.
Cosby prosecutors urge Supreme Court to restore conviction
November 29, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Prosecutors urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction, complaining in a petition released Monday the verdict was thrown out over a questionable agreement that the comic claimed gave him lifetime immunity.
Artist sues newly freed Bill Cosby over 1990 hotel encounter
October 15, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — A prominent Bill Cosby accuser filed suit Thursday against the actor over a 1990 hotel room encounter in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before the state's two-year window to file older sexual assault claims expires.
Andrea Constand writes of Cosby trial, #MeToo in new memoir
September 7, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Andrea Constand remained something of an enigma over the years her sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby played out in Pennsylvania courts and the public square.
An athlete and spiritual seeker turned massage therapist, she lived a quiet life with her dogs in Toronto until the case burst open again in 2015.
Cosby ruling cited as jail guard’s sex abuse case is dropped
August 20, 2021 GMTPennsylvania prosecutors dropped their case Friday against a jail guard accused of sexually abusing inmates, saying they were hamstrung by the recent state Supreme Court decision that freed Bill Cosby.
Cosby DA: Chief judge’s TV interview ‘fuels’ misinformation
July 13, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The lead prosecutor in Bill Cosby’s sex assault case believes the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overstepped its power in reversing the comedian’s conviction and added “fuel on the fire" when the chief justice gave a weekend television interview — and appeared to misstate the key issue in the appeal.
Maxwell lawyers: Cosby ruling reason to toss sex abuse case
July 2, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are arguing a court decision that freed Bill Cosby from prison backs up tossing out her sex trafficking case.
Hard lessons for lawyers in Cosby case; tougher for victims
July 2, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The seven justices who reversed Bill Cosby’s conviction this week spent months debating whether he had a secret agreement with a prosecutor that tainted his 2018 criminal sexual assault conviction.
Whither #MeToo? Chilling effect of Cosby reversal feared
July 1, 2021 GMTWhen Indira Henard, director of the DC Rape Crisis Center, received the text message Wednesday, she thought she wasn’t reading her phone correctly. “Indira oh my god,” said the message from a colleague.
Rashad draws critics and dismissal calls for defending Cosby
July 1, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Phylicia Rashad has found herself embroiled in controversy after expressing public support for Bill Cosby's release from prison, with some prominent Black voices calling for her dismissal as dean of Howard University's College of Fine Arts.
EXPLAINER: Why Bill Cosby’s conviction was overturned
July 1, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction was thrown out Wednesday by Pennsylvania's highest court in a ruling that swiftly freed the actor from prison more than three years after he was found guilty of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion.
Bill Cosby freed from prison, his sex conviction overturned
June 30, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction and released him from prison Wednesday in a stunning reversal of fortune for the comedian once known as “America’s Dad,” ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case was bound by his predecessor's agreement not to charge Cosby.
‘Horrified’ and ‘finally’; reaction varies on Cosby release
June 30, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Reaction to Wednesday's Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling overturning Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction, allowing him to be released from from prison:
Bill Cosby refuses sex offender program, so is denied parole
May 28, 2021 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Actor Bill Cosby won't be paroled this year after refusing to participate in sex offender programs during his nearly three years in state prison in Pennsylvania.
The 83-year-old Cosby has long said he would resist the treatment programs and refuse to acknowledge wrongdoing even if it means serving the full 10-year sentence.
Cosby’s sex assault conviction goes before high-level court
December 1, 2020 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania's highest court questioned Tuesday whether Bill Cosby's alleged history of intoxicating and sexually assaulting young women amounted to a signature crime pattern, given studies that show as many as half of all sexual assaults involve drugs or alcohol...
Key question in Cosby appeal: Does defendant’s past matter?
November 29, 2020 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — In 2016, as Bill Cosby's legal team prepared for trial in his stunning sexual assault case in Pennsylvania, the state Supreme Court quietly heard a death row inmate's appeal...
Bill Cosby, now 83, grins in newly released prison mug shot
October 21, 2020 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A newly released prison mug shot shows Bill Cosby smiling with a disposable mask hanging off his face...
Bill Cosby appeal set for Dec. 1 in Pennsylvania high court
October 8, 2020 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear Bill Cosby's appeal of his felony sex assault conviction on Dec...
Actor Masterson’s lawyer denies and denounces rape charges
September 18, 2020 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson, charged with raping three women, made his first appearance Friday in a Los Angeles courtroom, where his attorney declared his innocence and denounced the charges against him as “politicized...
Legal advocates line up on both sides of Bill Cosby’s appeal
September 15, 2020 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Legal advocates are lining up on both sides of actor Bill Cosby’s appeal as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court prepares to review his 2018 sex assault conviction...
The week Harry Belafonte took over TV is subject of new doc
September 8, 2020 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Harry Belafonte made history in early 1968. But it was lost to history.
While the Vietnam War was raging and civil unrest was convulsing American cities, TV talk show host Johnny Carson did something special: He stepped away from “The Tonight Show” perch for a week...
Bill Cosby appeal will test scope of #MeToo prosecutions
June 23, 2020 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — In a stunning decision that could test the legal framework of #MeToo cases, Pennsylvania's highest court will review the trial decision to let five other accusers testify at Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial in 2018, which ended with the longtime TV star's conviction...