Former Playboy model alleges Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1969

Victoria Valentino, an 80-year-old former Playboy model, has filed a lawsuit against comedian and actor Bill Cosby. She has allegedthat he drugged and sexually assaulted her and one more woman at his home in 1969. This lawsuit has been made possible thanks to a new California law that suspends the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims, giving victims like Valentino the opportunity to seek justice long after the alleged incidents occurred. At the time of the alleged assault, Valentino was working as an actress and singer, and she claims that Cosby approached her at a Los Angeles café where she was mourning the death of her six-year-old son.

According to the court documents, Cosby offered to pay for a spa treatment for Valentino and a friend and later arranged for a chauffeured car to pick them up for dinner. It was during this evening at a steakhouse that Cosby allegedly gave both women a pill, claiming it would make them feel better. The lawsuit asserts that Cosby then drove them to his house, where Valentino eventually passed out on a couch. Upon regaining consciousness, she alleges witnessing Cosby sexually assaulting her unnamed friend. Furthermore, the court filings claim that Cosby engaged in forced sexual intercourse with Valentino while she was incapacitated by the effects of the drug.

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The latest in similar lawsuits by Bill Cosby accusers

Valentino's lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions taken by women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. Last year, six Cosby accusers in New York filed lawsuits under a similar "lookback" law, which allows adults to bring forth sexual abuse claims that had previously been barred by the statute of limitations. Throughout these legal battles, Cosby, who gained fame through his role on The Cosby Show, has consistently denied all allegations of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment made against him by at least 60 women.

Bill Cosby's response

In response to Valentino's lawsuit, Cosby's spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, dismissed the claims, stating that they lack evidence and facts. Wyatt also criticised the use of lookback laws, arguing that they violate constitutional rights intended to protect both crime victims and those accused of crimes. He raised concerns about the challenge of gathering witnesses to testify on Cosby's behalf, suggesting that this could be a deliberate attempt to hinder the achievements of Black men in America, referencing Cosby's success and the American Dream he embodied.

It is worth noting that Bill Cosby's 2018 sexual assault conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, leading to his release from prison in 2021. The court found that Cosby had given self-incriminating testimony during a deposition, mistakenly believing he had immunity from prosecution. This decision came after Cosby had spent nearly three years in a state prison near Philadelphia, becoming the first high-profile figure to be tried and convicted in the #MeToo era.

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