Bill Cosby Rape Allegations: Another Accuser Comes Out; NPR Reporter Comments On Cosby’s Silence

A former actress claimed Sunday that she was drugged and raped by comedian Bill Cosby when she was 19-years-old. Joan Tarshis's claim is the latest in a string of sexual abuse allegations made against the actor.

Tarshis wrote in an essay on Hollywood Elsewhere that Cosby had abused her on two occasions in 1969. She said that she met Cosby in Los Angeles while he was shooting for “The Bill Cosby Show.” She recalled that the first incident occurred when the actor invited her to help him with some material for the show. She claimed that, in both the instances, she was offered alcohol and after some time lost consciousness.

“I was sickened by what was happening to me and shocked that this man I had idolized was now raping me. Of course I told no one,” Tarshis wrote in the column. "It took me about 20 years to admit this to anyone. My girlfriend, who was a cartoonist, told me she had heard rumors about Cosby, and believed them. She always thought where there’s smoke there’s fire."

Last week, another actress Barbara Bowman, claimed in a Washington Post column that Cosby had drugged and raped her when she was a 17-year-old aspiring actress in 1985.

So far, Cosby has refused to comment on any of the sexual allegations and reportedly cancelled his appearances on the “Late Show with David Letterman” on Wednesday and “The Queen Latifah Show” on Oct. 30.

On Sunday, Cosby’s attorney said that the “decade-old, discredited allegations” were not 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,” John P. Schmitt wrote on Cosby’s website.

Cosby had come under fire after comedian Hannibal Buress called him a rapist during a standup comedy routine in Philadelphia last month. Over the years, nearly 13 women have reportedly come forward accusing the comedian of sexual abuse. One of them, Andrea Constand, filed a civil lawsuit against Cosby in 2005, and the case was settled out of court in 2006.

Scott Simon, a reporter with NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday,” took to Twitter late on Sunday to talk about his recent interview with Cosby. Simon said he asked the actor about the rape allegations, but received no answer.