Nine Women File Lawsuit Against Bill Cosby, Alleging Sexual Assault and Abuse of Power

Nine women have filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby in U.S. District Court for Nevada, accusing him of using his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to isolate and sexually assault them. The lawsuit alleges that the women were individually drugged and assaulted between 1979 and 1992 in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe homes, dressing rooms and hotels.

The lawsuit comes just weeks after Nevada passed a law eliminating the statute of limitations for civil cases. One woman alleges that Cosby, claiming to be her acting mentor, lured her from New York to Nevada, where he drugged her in a hotel room with what he had claimed to be non-alcoholic sparkling cider.

Cosby has been publicly accused of sexual abuses from groping to rape by more than 60 women, many of whom have allegations that are decades old. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the nine women, who are identified only by their initials.

The lawsuit claims that Cosby “knew that his victims were particularly vulnerable to his coercion and manipulation due to their youth, inexperience, and/or emotional distress.” It also accuses Cosby of using his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to isolate and sexually assault each of the nine women named in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions against Cosby, who has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. The case is ongoing and no court date has been set.