Entertainment
Cosby Accuser's Mother Writers Letter To His Wife
Almost immediately after Bill Cosby released a video promoting an upcoming appearance — and ignoring the sexual assault allegations that have been cropping up about him over the past several months — another victim, Jennifer Kaya Thompson, is stepping forward to tell her story to prevent the same thing from happening to others, and this time, she and her family are taking their accusations a step further. The accuser's mother, Judy Thompson, has written a letter to Cosby's wife, Camille, in order to appeal to her as a mother and hopefully prevent sexual abuse from happening to even more women.
Until recently, Jennifer Thompson chose to remain anonymous. She was one of the original 13 women who filed the 2005 lawsuit against Cosby and who brought up the allegations again in 2014 when other victims began to come forward. Jennifer decided to go public for the first time last week and hopes that this will lend more credibility to her story. And although this is undoubtedly an incredibly difficult thing to do, Jennifer has her parents' support every step of the way, especially since they were the ones who first introduced her to Cosby in the '80s when a 17-year-old Jennifer was trying to break into the modeling industry.
According to Yahoo! News, Cosby did everything he could to reassure Jennifer's parents that she would be safe under his guidance, but unfortunately, his promises couldn't be further from reality. As she tells it, like many others victimized by Cosby, she was on the receiving end of unwanted advances. On their last meeting, she was pressured into performing a sex act on him in exchange for $700, which is obviously unsettling. Recently, her mother, Judy, sent Camille a letter "mother to mother," but so far, it's gone unanswered and the family isn't sure that Camille has even read or received it.
In part of the letter, Judy wrote,
Your husband crossed boundaries that should have never been breached. He shattered her innocence... To be so hurt and violated, and then not be believed! Resolution has not been easily forthcoming. We all remained in the shadows of your husband's sick behavior... May you and Bill speak the truth and be afforded peace for your souls.
Now, Jennifer's hoping that by coming forward, she's supporting the more than 30 women who have also accused Cosby of assault, hoping to eventually find the justice she and so many others seek. It can't be easy for Jennifer, but it is definitely brave, and there are inevitably women who find comfort in the fact that they are not alone in this horrifying situation.
Cosby's official stance, via his lawyer, remains the same:
Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced. The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work. There will be no further statement from Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives.
Image: Getty Images