Why is Bill Cosby back in court this time?
Everything you need to know about the case
Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby is facing another sexual assault allegation in court after being released from prison last year. Here's what you need to know:
Why is Bill Cosby back in court? Is he facing charges?
Cosby is being sued by Judy Huth, who claims the comedian sexually assaulted her in the 1970s. This is a civil case, and Cosby hasn't faced any charges over her allegations due to the statute of limitations in California.
Huth's lawsuit dates back to 2014, but it was delayed as Cosby battled criminal charges over separate allegations that he sexually assaulted Andrea Constand in 2004. Those charges ultimately landed Cosby in jail, but he was released in 2021 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction on the grounds that he had an agreement with a previous prosecutor that should have prevented him from being charged in the first place.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What are Huth's claims?
Huth alleged in her 2014 lawsuit that Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15.
The lawsuit said Huth and a friend, who was 16, met Cosby in California's Lacy Park "in or about 1974" when they noticed he was filming a movie there. Cosby, who allegedly learned both their ages, invited Huth and her friend to his tennis club and then to a house, where he served them alcohol, the lawsuit claims. Cosby then allegedly led the girls to the Playboy Mansion, telling them to lie about their ages if asked.
While at the Playboy Mansion, the lawsuit says Huth needed to use the bathroom and Cosby "directed her to a bathroom within a bedroom suit near the game room." When Huth came out of the bathroom, Cosby was allegedly sitting on a bed and told her to sit next to him. "He then proceeded to sexually molest her by attempting to put his hand down her pants, and then taking her hand in his hand and performing a sex act on himself without her consent," the lawsuit says.
Huth alleges she has suffered "psychological damage and mental anguish" as a result of the alleged assault, and she's seeking damages.
What has Cosby's team said?
Cosby's lawyers say he "does not deny that he socialized with plaintiff at the Playboy Mansion," and a photo shows Cosby and Huth there, but he denies sexually assaulting her. Cosby also "vehemently denies that plaintiff was underage," the attorneys say.
The comedian's legal team has called into question Huth's credibility, particularly after she adjusted the timeline of her allegations. Before the trial was set to begin, Huth said the alleged assault happened in 1975, not 1974, so she would have been 16, not 15. Cosby's attorneys argued the case should have been dismissed as a result, complaining of a "trial by ambush" and saying that based on Huth's previous timeline, they obtained Playboy Mansion visitor logs from 1974, not 1975, to disprove her account, Rolling Stone reports. The evidence suggests that Huth and her friend weren't at the Playboy Mansion in 1974, they say.
"You work you work you work to create a defense, and then all of a sudden at the last minute, it's a bait-and-switch," Cosby attorney Jennifer Bonjean told The Associated Press. The judge declined to throw out the case but ordered Huth and her friend to provide more deposition before jury selection began.
Why does Huth say she adjusted her timeline?
Huth says she revised her timeline for the alleged assault based on new evidence, which helped clarify when Cosby filmed the movie Let's Do It Again in Lacy Park. Her lawyers also suggest the defense knew the alleged incident took place in 1975 [should this be 1974?] from the beginning.
Is Cosby expected to testify?
Cosby isn't expected to testify, nor will he be attending the trial, according to his attorneys, though he previously provided a deposition. Opening arguments are expected to begin on June 1. Cosby's lawyer also represents R. Kelly. Meanwhile, Huth is being represented by famed attorney Gloria Allred, who has represented numerous alleged victims of sexual abuse.
Are there any other ongoing Cosby cases?
In early March 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision to overturn Cosby's conviction. Outside of the Huth trial, though, Cosby was also sued in federal court in October 2021 by actress Lili Bernard, who alleges he drugged and raped her in 1990. He has denied her allegations.
Dozens of women have accused Cosby of sexual assault, and numerous lawsuits against him have been settled out of court. But the Huth case, according to USA Today, is "the last civil suit in a state court that Cosby faces."
Cosby's accusers expressed dismay last year when he was released from prison, with Victoria Valentino, who has accused Cosby of rape, telling ABC News, "I am deeply distressed about the injustice of the whole thing." Though Cosby hasn't been charged in the Huth case, Valentino told The New York Times that for the comedian's alleged victims, this trial "may be our last stand for justice and seeing accountability come to fruition in our stand against Bill Cosby."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump gets $289M break, first criminal trial date
Speed Read The former president's fraud bond has been reduced to $175 million from $464 million
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - March 26, 2024
Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - the House GOP abandon ship, Joe Biden sets his stall, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Could Taylor Swift swing the election?
Today's Big Question The pop star has outsized influence — and that extends beyond the music industry
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold Published
-
Why K-pop stars keep relationships hidden
Under The Radar South Korea's £8bn music industry imposes strict rules on its biggest stars
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Hugh Hefner memoir fallout
Why Everyone's Talking About Ex-wife said Playboy founder was 'bad at sex' and his LA mansion was 'rundown and gross'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The celebrity winners of 2023
Why everyone's talking about Girl power's still got it as Taylor Swift, Barbie and Britney all come out on top
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Friends' star Matthew Perry dies at 54
Speed Read The actor reportedly drowned in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The video game franchises with the best lore
Speed Read The developers behind these games used their keen attention to detail and expert storytelling abilities to create entire universes
By Theara Coleman Published
-
The buzziest movies from the 2023 Venice Film Festival
Speed Read Which would-be Oscar contenders got a boost?
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
America's troubling school bus driver shortage
Speed Read Kids are heading back to school, but they might be having trouble getting a ride
By Theara Coleman Published