Cosby's wife forced to testify in civil case

Bill Cosby and his wife Camille, whose request to a court to be protected from "unnecessary harassment" was rejected.
Bill Cosby and his wife Camille, whose request to a court to be protected from "unnecessary harassment" was rejected. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

WASHINGTON • In the same week that comedian Bill Cosby was arrested on sexual assault charges, his wife Camille learnt that she must testify in a civil case against the entertainer filed by seven women who said he had defamed them, court documents said.

A federal magistrate judge in Massachusetts on Thursday rejected arguments by Cosby's wife of almost 52 years, and who also has been his business manager, that the deposition would represent an "undue burden".

The deposition is scheduled for next Wednesday, a week after the 78-year-old was charged in Pennsylvania with sexual assault. It is the only criminal case to have been brought against the actor, who has been accused by more than 50 women of sexually abusing them in incidents dating back decades.

Cosby is free on US$1 million (S$1.4 million) bail, and his lawyer has said the entertainer is not guilty and will not consider a plea bargain.

Cosby, who exemplified the model family man in his hit television series The Cosby Show, was charged with aggravated indecent assault, which carries a maximum penalty of five to 10 years in jail.

The charge stems from accusations by Ms Andrea Constand, 44, a former basketball team manager at Temple University in Philadelphia, Cosby's alma mater. She settled a civil case against Cosby for an undisclosed sum in 2006.

The Massachusetts civil lawsuit against Cosby was filed in December 2014 by Ms Tamara Green, later joined by six other women, who contend that Cosby sexually assaulted or abused them, that each publicly accused Cosby and that he responded by calling the women liars, thus defaming them.

Judge David Hennessy rejected arguments by Cosby's wife that she lacked first-hand knowledge of the events at issue, and that the court should protect her from "unnecessary harassment" by limiting the scope of the subpoena.

Cosby sent a Twitter message on Thursday afternoon saying: "Friends and fans, Thank You."

Some responded with messages of support. Others showed scorn, asking: "What about the victims?" and "What 'fans'?"

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 03, 2016, with the headline Cosby's wife forced to testify in civil case. Subscribe