Cosby's Lawyers Blast Media's Coverage

In the wake of his 2005 deposition being shared with the public, Bill Cosby's lawyers have asked the Philadelphia court that is overseeing the case to keep the rest of the comedian's 2006 settlement under wraps. In their filing, Cosby's lawyers blasted the media coverage of their client while attempting to clarify what he really meant in the excerpts released from his deposition. Cosby's lawyers Patrick O'Connor and George Gowen wrote in their filing,

The media immediately pounced, inaccurately labeling the released testimony as defendant's "confession" of "drugging" women and assaulting them ... Reading the media accounts, one would conclude that defendant has admitted to rape. And yet defendant admitted to nothing more than being one of the many people who introduced quaaludes into their consensual sex life in the 1970s.

The Philadelphia federal judge who decided to release the court transcripts did so because of Cosby's role as a "public moralist" and the stark contrast between said role and what so many women accused him of doing. It's not hard to see why Cosby's lawyers would want the rest of the settlement sealed shut. In addition to the media coverage of the 78-year-old, some of the comedian's most outspoken supporters turned on him after the deposition was released, and President Obama even commented on the situation.

It is also not hard to see why key Cosby accuser Andrea Constand — the woman who filed the lawsuit to whom the 2005 deposition is connected — and her legal team would want the rest of the settlement wide open. Three other Cosby accusers — Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, and Linda Traitz — are in the process of a defamation suit against Cosby, and according to their lawyer, Gloria Allred, the 2005 deposition could help their case, because it's fair game to ask about it for this new lawsuit.

Constand has requested that the court release the rest of the information from the settlement. Her motion reads:

The release of these documents will assist other women who have been victimized and bring awareness to the fact that sexual assault is not just committed with a gun or knife but is also committed by mentors who engage in exploitative behaviors.

In November 2014, when the claims against Cosby started making headlines again, his lawyer released the following statement:

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.

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