As my publisher once observed, it’s sad that as we achieve progress with LGBT rights, women’s rights still lag behind.
More than 40 women have come out and accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault. But according to Refinery29, due to the statute of limitations for most civil suits most suits must be filed within two years. And with some of them having waited decades to speak out, they may have already missed that window of opportunity. The most they can do now, they report, is to file a defamation lawsuit.
This wouldn’t be the first time that a man with wealth, privilege, and fame has gotten away with allegations of rape and molestation. There’s Terry Richardson, Woody Allen, and Roman Polanski, among many others.
Another chapter to Cosby’s long-winded saga was added when The New York Times published excerpts from a court deposition from 10 years ago. In it, he admitted to using quaaludes to drug women, to paying off several women to keep quiet about his affairs, and is even heard calling his accuser Andrea Costand a “liar” to her face.
Director and comedian Judd Apatow appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and slammed Cosby saying, “Bill Cosby is just a symbol for a situation that’s just so obvious, and yet people don’t stand up and say, ‘This is crazy, we should do something about it.’”
He adds, “I just kept noticing that no one else was saying that this was a bad thing. I would have loved to not talk about it. It’s incredibly sad. It’s one of the most tragic things that’s happened in our business, and I think we do have to stand up for the women and say that we believe you.”
It’s not the first time he’s publicly took a stand against Cosby’s alleged behavior. In an interview with The Rolling Stone he said, “But if you don’t believe women or take their accusations very, very seriously, women will not speak up. And if women don’t speak up more women will be raped… ignoring all of the victims is a signal to other victims that when you speak up, people will not take care of you and do something about it.”
Photo courtesy of Page Six
