Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty
Bill Cosby may be free from prison after his conviction was overturned, but his legal troubles still persist thanks to a new lawsuit brought against him by another of the 60 women who’ve accused him of sexual assault.
As first reported by Vulture, a civil lawsuit against the 84-year old comedian has been filed in a federal court in New Jersey by former actress Lili Bernard. Bernard, who once appeared on The Cosby Show, alleges that Cosby drugged and raped her at the Trump Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City in August 1990.
“I have waited a long time to be able to pursue my case in court,” Bernard expressed in a statement released to the press, “and I look forward to being heard and to hold Cosby accountable for what he did to me. Although it occurred long ago, I still live with the fear, pain, and shame every day of my life.”
Bernard was in attendance at both of Cosby’s criminal trials held outside of Philadelphia when he faced charges of drugging and raping former colleague Andrea Constand at his home in 2004. A second jury found Cosby guilty on all three counts of felony sexual assault in 2018, a year after the first trial ended in a hung jury. He was subsequently given a three-to-ten year sentence and was jailed, serving time until his conviction was overturned in June due to technicalities that arose in the case.
That same situation led to the highest court in Pennslyvania ruling he could no longer be tried again for those same offenses in criminal court. But in New Jersey, the state allows a two-year window for survivors of sexual abuse to bring civil claims no matter when the offense occurred. Bernard is reportedly seeking “an amount no less” than $25 million, citing her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and symptoms such as depression and severe anxiety.
