Open Criminal Investigation for Bill Cosby, LAPD Confirms
— -- The Los Angeles Police Department said it will explore any sexual assault accusations against embattled TV star and comedian Bill Cosby, including accusations for which the statute of limitations has expired.
The LAPD’s statement to ABC News that there is an open criminal investigation for Cosby comes two days after the release of a court filing in which Cosby seemingly admitted to giving a Quaalude to a woman he met in Las Vegas before they had sex.
Cosby is quoted as saying in a deposition in 2005 that he obtained prescriptions for Quaaludes with the idea that he would give them to women with whom he wanted to have sex.
The quote appears in a plaintiff’s motion filed as part of a civil case against Cosby for alleged sexual abuse, which he settled in 2006 for an undisclosed amount.
“The only reason Mr. Cosby settled was because it would have been embarrassing in those days to put all those women on the stand and his family had no clue,” a source close to Cosby told ABC News. “That would have been very hurtful.” The “Cosby Show Star” has never been charged criminally in connection with those allegations or other allegations by more than two dozen women who say Cosby drugged or sexually abused them.
Cosby, 77, has not commented on the documents, which The Associated Press went to court to get released.
Several of the women who have accused Cosby are calling the release of the court filings a relief.
“After all these years I’m validated,” Joan Tarsish told CNN.
“It was like everything turned a 180,” Barbara Bowman told the network.
Model Beverly Johnson, who alleges Cosby put drugs in her coffee once in the 1980s, told ABC News she is “very happy” for all the women who have spoken out against Cosby.
“I see that a lot of them are relieved and feel vindicated,” Johnson said of Cosby’s accusers. “Perhaps maybe we can now all start a healing process.”
After the release of the court filings, Walt Disney World officials announced that they would remove a bronze statue of Cosby from the Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida. Reruns of “The Cosby Show” have also been pulled from the Bounce TV network.
One of Cosby’s most public defenders, Jill Scott, who in December called the allegations against Cosby “insane,” tweeted this week that "the sworn testimony is proof," adding she was "completely disgusted."
“The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg, however, said she is still reserving judgment on Cosby.
“In America still, I know it’s a shock, but you actually are innocent until proven guilty,” Goldberg said on the show Tuesday. “He has not been proven.”
The Walt Disney Co., which owns Walt Disney World, is the parent company of ABC News.
