Bill Cosby's wife ordered to testify in defamation suit

U.S. Judge Magistrate David Hennessey in Springfield, Massachusetts ruled Thursday that Camille Cosby, Bill Cosby's wife of more than 50 years and his business manager, must testify in a defamation lawsuit filed against her husband by seven women accusing the comedian of sexual assault. The ruling, which comes just days after Cosby was charged with sexual assault in connection to a 2004 incident, rejects Camille's motion for a subpoena requiring her to testify to be thrown out.

U.S. Judge Magistrate David Hennessey [...] said Camille Cosby failed to prove that she and her husband were protected by the state's marital disqualification law. He also rejected claims that the value of the testimony would be outweighed by the "undue burden" the deposition would cause.

The arguments "do not outweigh the potential significance of Mrs. Cosby's testimony, nor has Mrs. Cosby provided any authority that they do," Hennessey wrote in a 12-page ruling. [The Associated Press]

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The lawsuit alleges that Cosby defamed the reputations of seven women by suggesting they were lying about their claims that he sexually assaulted them. In response, Cosby has countersued them and said that the women were "engaged in a campaign to assassinate" his character.