In a lawsuit filed in Nevada on Wednesday after the US state abolished its statute of limitations on civil sexual abuse cases, nine women accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them decades earlier.
According to the lawsuit, the American comedian used his “enormous power, fame, and prestige” to isolate and sexually assault the women.
Between 1979 and 1992, the women were allegedly assaulted in homes, hotels, and dressing rooms in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Reno.
They were able to sue after Nevada repealed the civil statute of limitations for adult sexual abuse cases on May 31. The state had previously imposed a two-year time limit for those over the age of 18 to bring their cases to court.
Cosby, 85, was a towering figure in late-20th century American popular culture, and was once known as “America’s Dad” for his part on “The Cosby Show,” which ran from 1984-92.
He has been accused of predatory behavior by dozens of women in allegations that stretch back decades.
Around 60 women have accused Cosby of being a calculating, serial predator who plied victims with sedatives and alcohol before assaulting them over four decades.
Despite numerous lawsuits brought against him, Cosby has no criminal convictions, but was found liable last year in a civil case.
He was imprisoned in a criminal case in 2018, before being freed in 2021 when his conviction was overturned on a technicality.
Lise-Lotte Lublin, one of the women named in the Nevada lawsuit, had previously accused Cosby of drugging her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 1989.
Lublin said Cosby gave her two drinks that made her dizzy, and that he asked her to sit between his legs and stroked her hair before she blacked out.
Other accusers in the lawsuit include Janice Dickinson, Janice Baker Kinney, Lili Bernard, Heidi Thomas, Linda Kirkpatrick, Rebecca Cooper, Pam Joy Abeyta and Angela Leslie.
Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, told US media that the women suing Cosby were motivated by their “addiction to massive amounts of media attention and greed.”
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