Woman details alleged rape by Bill Cosby
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Barbara Bowman, formerly an aspiring actress, has taken to the pages of The Washington Post to allege that Bill Cosby, the iconic comedian and television star, raped her multiple times when she was 17 years old in the 1980s.
In one case, I blacked out after having dinner and one glass of wine at his New York City brownstone, where he had offered to mentor me and discuss the entertainment industry. When I came to, I was in my panties and a man's t-shirt, and Cosby was looming over me. I'm certain that he drugged and raped me. The final incident was in Atlantic City, where we had traveled for industry event. I was staying in a separate bedroom of Cosby's hotel suite, but he pinned me down in his own bed while I screamed for help. I'll never forget the clinking of his belt buckle as he struggled to pull his pants off. I furiously tried to wrestle from his grasp until he eventually gave up, angrily called me "a baby" and sent me home to Denver. [The Washington Post]
Cosby has been accused by multiple women of assault and rape, but has never been convicted. The allegations resurfaced recently after a comedian used the allegations in a stand-up routine that gained widespread attention.
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Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.