Bill Cosby's lawyers, in court filings today, argue the comedian's admission he used Quaaludes in the 1970s does not mean he "admitted to rape."
The lawyers also asked the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to keep confidential the details of Cosby's 2006 settlement with a Temple University employee who alleged he sexually abused her. The woman wants that settlement unsealed.
"The timing of Plaintiff's July 8, 2015 motion reflects an attempt on her part to ride on the coattails of the barrage of inaccurate and negative media attention that followed this Court's July 6, 2015 release of excerpts from Defendant's deposition," the lawyers said in the filing.
Describing Cosby's testimony as "candid," they noted he had an extramarital affair in the 1970 and, as part of that affair, offered Quaaludes to his partner. And, they noted, the use of Quaaludes was widespread at the time. Here's more:
"Indeed, Quaaludes were a highly popular recreational drug in the 1970's, labeled in slang as 'disco biscuits,' and known for their capacity to increase sexual arousal.
"There are countless tales of celebrities, music stars, and wealthy socialites in the 1970's willingly using Quaaludes for recreational purposes and during consensual sex. Yet, upon the unsealing of those excerpts, the media immediately pounced, inaccurately labeling the released testimony as Defendant's 'confession' of 'drugging' women and assaulting them."
Cosby's 2005 testimony was given by the comedian during the discovery phase of a civil lawsuit against him. The matter was forgotten until allegations against Cosby resurfaced. The Associated Press asked the court to unseal the documents and the court agreed. As Eyder noted, U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno, in his reasoning, said Cosby was a "public person" because he "has donned the mantle of public moralist."
And as we previously reported:
"More than two dozen women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. Some of them say he drugged and raped them. As we noted back in January, Cosby has denied all the allegations and has not been charged in any of the alleged assaults, but in an interview with NPR's Scott Simon last November Cosby maintained an uncomfortable silence when asked about the allegations.
"Some of the allegations are decades old and, as such, fall outside the statute of limitations. But the scandal has hurt the comedian: NBC canceled a project with him, as did Netflix. The U.S. Navy revoked an honorary title for the comedian, and he resigned from the board of trustees at Temple University."
Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that in a sworn deposition from 2005 Cosby acknowledged using drugs and banked on his fame to get women to have sex with him, and then paid them off to keep the affairs from his wife.
You can read the document here.
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