Content warning: This story contains discussion and description of claims of sexual assault.
An unnamed woman has testified in court that during production on the 1975 film Let’s Do It Again – at which time she was 14 years old – Bill Cosby forcibly restrained and kissed her.
As Billboard reported earlier today (June 6), the woman, now aged 61, appeared in a Los Angeles County court on Friday (June 3). Her allegation came during a civil trial addressing a lawsuit by former model and comedienne Judy Huth; Huth, 61, alleges that she was sexually assaulted by Cosby in the spring of 1975, when she was 16, during an encounter at the Playboy Mansion.
“I was struggling to get away,” the unnamed woman said, describing her experience with Cosby as “very shocking”. She told the court that Cosby had personally invited her – along with other friends and family members, including her mother – to be extras in Let’s Do It Again after meeting them at a tennis tournament. Photos of that meeting were shown in the trial – one reported to show Cosby with her arms around the woman – as well as photos of them on the film’s set months later.
The woman claimed that after Cosby invited her into his private trailer on set, allegedly to help with his costume, he “immediately grabbed” her and “started kissing [her], all over [her] face, tongue down [her] throat”. She was reportedly asked by Huth’s attorney, Nathan Goldberg, how tightly Cosby had gripped her, to which she replied, “Enough that I couldn’t get away.”
It’s alleged that the woman was able to remove herself from Cosby’s grip after 30 seconds, after which she left his trailer. The woman opted not to report the incident because her time on the set of Let’s Do It Again was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and she “didn’t want to ruin everything for everyone”.
The woman was cross-examined by Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, who reportedly brought up a still from the scene she filmed – showing her and her brother cheering – and asked the woman if she felt distraught at the time it was shot. She answered that she “probably was”, which Bonjean questioned by responding, “Probably?”
The woman clarified that she “was distraught when [she] was in there” – presumably meaning Cosby’s trailer – and that she hadn’t spoken up about the incident until years later, when she told her husband.
After being pressed by Bonjean, the woman explained that she was prompted to speak out about her experience in 2015, when multiple reports emerged alleging sexual assaults at Cosby’s hand. She told her story to attorney Gloria Allred – who represents her and Huth in tandem with Goldberg – but said that at the time, she had no intention of filing a lawsuit.
Billboard specified that the woman is not linked directly to the lawsuit.
Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by more than 60 women. In 2018, he was jailed for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home in 2004. His conviction, however, was overturned last June.
Back in January, the saga was chronicled in a four-part docuseries, We Need To Talk About Cosby, which aired on Showtime. A synopsis for the series reads: “Can you separate the art from the artist? Should you even try? While there are many people about whom we could ask those questions, none pose a tougher challenge than Bill Cosby.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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