SEVENTIES supermodel Janice Dickinson has claimed that actor and comedian Bill Cosby raped her in 1982. The former America's Next Top Model judge told American television show Entertainment Tonight that Cosby "sexually assaulted" her after giving her a pill that he said was a painkiller.
Dickinson - who said that she began meeting Cosby as they discussed her appearing on The Cosby Show - said that she was "embarrassed and ashamed" and never reported it to the police but asserted that she wanted to speak out now because it's the "right thing to do".
Several other women have levelled similar accusations at the veteran entertainer. A 2006 civil lawsuit was settled out of court despite the complainant's lawyers asserting that they had testimony from 13 other women with similar stories. Last month, Barbara Bowman spoke out to say that she had been one of those women who had been willing to testify about her alleged assault, while earlier this week another woman, Joan Tarshis, became the latest woman to accuse him of raping her when she was a teenager.
Cosby's legal team has declined all requests to share his side of the story.
"Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr Cosby have resurfaced," his lawyer John P Schmitt stated. "The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work. There will be no further statement from Mr Cosby or any of his representatives."
By Lauren Milligan
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