Accuses Cosby of rape
Serignese says she met Cosby, who was putting on a show at the Las Vegas Hilton, in 1976, when she was 19. After a party she was alone with Cosby and he offered her some pills.
I took them, didn’t know what they were didn’t even ask. I just was intimidated I guess and I took them. Then my next memory is feeling drugged and him having sex with me.
Cosby let her stay at his penthouse suite for several weeks, but asked her to leave when when she told him she might be pregnant (she wasn’t). She saw Cosby several times in the years following, but got married and moved on. In the mid 90s she got into financial trouble and reached out to Cosby, who said that Cosby had promised here $500 if she went to school and got all ‘A’s. Costby sent her $15,000 in total, but never heard from him again. In 2005 she says became a witness for another case, but the case was settled out of court.
I’m gonna say to Bill Cosby. You do owe me an explanation for why you did this to me. I want an apology. I want you to apologize for hurting me. I want you to apologize for taking advantage of me.
Join defamation suit
Serignese and Traitz join a defamation lawsuit against Cosby, alleging that comments by Cosby’s representatives publicly branding them as liars. Attorney Joseph Cammarata:
The lawsuit provides an opportunity for women who claim to have been harmed to have their day in court in a forum where the truth can be tried.
Defamation suit continues
Federal Judge Mastroianni says a defamation lawsuit brought against Cosby by three women who say he sexually abused them decades ago can move forward. Cosby’s lawyers had asked the judge to dismiss their suit, arguing that the remarks were personal opinions protected by the First Amendment and legal declarations made in his defense. Green, Serignese and Traitz have accused Cosby of drugging them and then having unwanted sexual contact with them. The defamatory comments range from statements dismissing their accusations as “ridiculous claims” and “absurd fabrication” to longer remarks that sought to discredit the accuser. Mastroianni:
The court recognizes that some jurisdictions do apply a version of the conditional self-defense privilege, which allows individuals, in certain circumstances, to publish defamatory responsive statements necessary to defend their reputation. However … such a privilege does not permit a defendant to knowingly publish false states.
Attorney for women:
We’d expect and hope the judge rejected every one of Mr. Cosby’s attempts to throw the case out of court and allowed the case to proceed.
Sues seven accusers for defamation
In response to a defamation suit brought by his accusers, Cosby sues Green, Serignese, Traitz, Louisa Moritz, Bowman, Tarshis and Leslie for defamation, saying:
[The defendants] have made malicious, opportunistic and false and defamatory accusations of sexual misconduct against him. [They have] knowingly published false statements and accusations.
My statement re today's lawsuit filed by @BillCosby against all 7 accusers in Massachusetts lawsuit. pic.twitter.com/XRYoV4gXpC
— Monique Pressley (@MoniquePressley) December 14, 2015