Former Playboy model Victoria Valentino has filed a new lawsuit against Bill Cosby, accusing him of drugging and sexually assaulting her.
The lawsuit, filed under a temporary lifting of the statute of limitations in California for sexual assault cases, alleges that the incident occurred in 1969 after Valentino had dinner with Cosby.
Valentino claims that after ingesting pills provided by Cosby, she and her friend were taken to a nearby office. She alleges that she became unconscious and was sexually assaulted upon waking up.
It’s worth noting that Cosby’s sexual assault conviction was overturned in 2021, leading to his release from prison. However, this new lawsuit brings forth fresh allegations against him.
She told Mr Cosby “I want to go home now”, according to the filing, which adds she was “incapable of consent” and physically helpless”.
Ms Valentino is seeking unspecified damages, court and attorney fees.
In a statement, Ms Valentino said the trauma the 85-year-old inflicted on her has affected “not only me, but my children and grandchildren”.
“By breaking my silence and speaking my truth, I hope this serves as my legacy to my family, and shows those survivors who have yet to find their voices, that hope and healing are possible,” she said in the statement shared with US media.
A representative for Mr Cosby, Andrew Wyatt, told US media outlets Ms Valentino’s claims were “without any proof or facts” and said she had “inconsistencies in her many statements”.
Once known to millions as “America’s Dad”, Mr Cosby starred in the 1980s hit sitcom The Cosby Show.
Bill Cosby’s reputation was severely damaged when numerous women came forward with allegations of rape, sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct spanning several decades, starting from the 1960s. Despite the accusations, Cosby has consistently denied any wrongdoing and asserted that all of his sexual encounters were consensual.
In 2018, he was convicted of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand in Pennsylvania. However, his conviction was later overturned by the state’s highest court, which determined that he should not have been brought to trial due to a previous agreement made with a prosecutor in 2005, in which he was assured that he would not face charges.
In a separate civil case last year, a California jury found Cosby liable for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. As a result, he was ordered to pay $500,000 in damages.