Bill Cosby Responds To Rape Allegations With Statement On Website

A representative for Bill Cosby released a statement Sunday in response to growing calls for the comedian to address allegations he sexually assaulted multiple women. After canceling an appearance on CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” and choosing not to answer a question about the subject on NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday,” a statement appeared on Cosby’s website Sunday repudiating the claims. The statement page was closed to comments.

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.

- John P. Schmitt, lawyer for Bill Cosby

Outcry against the assaults was amplified recently after comedian Hannibal Buress called Cosby a rapist during a standup comedy routine in Philadelphia last month. A video of the appearance went viral, casting a shadow on the 77-year-old actor-comedian’s legacy. The controversy further erupted when the comedian took to Twitter and asked followers to “meme” him.

Barbara Bowman, who alleges Cosby assaulted her in 1985 when she was 17 years old, wrote a column in Thursday's Washington Post in which she detailed the accusation, saying Cosby "brainwashed me into viewing him as a father figure, and then assaulted me multiple times."

Her claim followed a 2006 settlement stemming from a lawsuit filed by another woman, Andrea Constand, who said Cosby drugged and molested her. Bowman alleges there were 13 other women willing to testify Cosby assaulted them. Cosby was not charged in either case and Constand’s civil suit was settled out of court.