Bill Cosby Rape Allegation Update: California Judge To Set Deposition Date For Comedian In Case Involving A Then-15-Year-Old Girl

A California judge said on Tuesday that he plans on setting a date for a deposition of Bill Cosby in relation to a civil court case in which a woman says that Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy mansion when she was just 15 years old. The alleged assault occurred in 1974, and is among the dozens of accusations that swelled against the comedian and actor who was once known for being a trusted father figure in American culture.

The Santa Monica judge indicated that he plans on nailing down a deposition date by the end of this week, according to KTTV, a Fox affiliate in Los Angeles. The approaching deposition comes amid recently exposed court documents in which Cosby admitted that he obtained Quaaludes in order to get women to have sex with him.

“We are going to get him on the record,” Gloria Allred, the attorney for Judith Huth, the plaintiff in the Santa Monica case, said. “We are going to be very vigorous in our questioning of Mr. Cosby and we do expect his attorneys will make as many objections as legally appropriate.”

The California Supreme Court decided against a request filed recently to review a lawsuit against Cosby that could have elevated the accusations beyond a civil trial. Allred said that she planned on asking Cosby about other women who have come out and accused him of assault because she believes it “shows, or it could prove, a pattern and practice of Mr. Cosby or his motives.”

On Sunday, a provocative cover of New York Magazine featured portraits of 35 women who have accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them. On the cover, each woman is seated and looking forward. In the bottom right corner sits an empty chair -- an implied “who’s next?”

The accusations against Cosby have been devastating to his reputation . Once revered for his family friendly jokes and the trailblazing television sitcom he starred in, Cosby has lost much support. His alma mater, Temple University, has distanced itself from him. Disney took down a bust of him in a hall of fame at one of its theme parks. And a stand-up show on Netflix and an upcoming NBC sitcom he intended to star in were both shelved.