Entertainment

Bill Cosby's Lawyer Issues a New Statement

by Kadeen Griffiths

There is a public outcry against TV father Bill Cosby that doesn't seem like it's going to go away any time soon. Which might be a little bizarre to some people because it's never reached this level before. Although sexual abuse allegations against Cosby go back as far as 2000, it's only now that people are truly beginning to realize that the comedian might have some skeletons in his closet that are, well, way worse than other celebrities have been confirmed to have. However, Cosby has chosen to remain silent about the allegations, which continue to build against him as more and more victims come forward with their stories. That might change going forward. In response to the three victims who spoke out on Thursday, Cosby's lawyer released a new statement about the rape claims, slamming them as "nonsense" and "ridiculous."

Actress Louisa Moritz, nurse Therese Serignese, and Lou Ferrigno's wife, Carla, all came forward with stories of assault or outright rape that they suffered at Cosby's hands, adding to the mountains of voices demanding that the comedian be brought to justice for these crimes. Serignese was left out of the new statement from Cosby's attorney, Marty Singer, who addressed the tales of Moritz, Ferrigno, and especially potential victim Linda Joy Traitz.

Linda Joy Traitz is making ridiculous claims and suddenly seems to have a lot to say about a fleeting incident she says happened with my client more than 40 years ago. There was no briefcase of drugs and this is an absurd fabrication.
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Traitz's story has already been viewed with additional controversy with the revelation of her criminal history including fraud. In addition, she says that Cosby drove her out to the beach and offered her pills from a briefcase full of drugs, which stands out against the covert drugging of drinks or offers of headache relief pills in the privacy of homes and hotel rooms that is Cosby's usual M.O. in these emerging claims.

However, admittedly, I am naturally inclined to believe that no woman would lie about being a victim of sexual assault, especially in a case like this when it's so important that nothing discredit all these women who have been fighting to be heard for over a decade. In addition, capitalizing on that controversy already inherent in Traitz's claim could be why Singer specifically addressed her in his statement before moving on to more general ground with the rest:

This continued pattern of attacks on Mr. Cosby has entered the realm of the ridiculous, with a purported 'forceful kiss' at a party in 1967, nearly 50 years ago, being treated as a current 'news story' and grossly mischaracterized as 'sexual assault.' This is utter nonsense. People coming out of nowhere with this sort of inane yarn is what happens in a media-driven feeding frenzy. We've reached the point of absurdity. The stories are getting more ridiculous. I think people are trying to come up with these wild stories in order to justify why they have waited 40 to 50 years to disclose these ridiculous accusations.
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It seems that Cosby's legal team might be moving from a position of no comment to going on the offensive, slamming the sheer amount of stories and accusations that are being leveled at the comedian. At this point, there are somewhere between 14 and 16 women, not all of whom have yet been identified, who could potentially testify against Cosby with their own stories of sexual abuse, rape, and drugging. Eventually, I did believe that Cosby's people were going to have to make a more definitive statement, but where they choose to go from here with his defense is anyone's guess.

Previously, with regards to these allegations, Cosby's attorney has said: “Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. 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."

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