In January 1997 comedian Bill Cosby’s only son, 27 year-old Ennis, was murdered by a man who attempted to rob him as he changed a tire on the freeway in Los Angeles. His killer was caught and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. In the same year that his son died, Cosby was accused by a woman named Autumn Jackson of being her natural father. He admitted in court to having had intercourse with her mother while he was still married. Miss Jackson and accomplices, however, were later convicted of trying to extort $40 million from the comedian. In 1999 their convictions were overturned on a technicality, but then a retrial saw them convicted again.

Years later, in January 2005, another woman claimed she had been drugged and fondled by the comedian in May 2004. She accused him of giving her some blue pills that rendered her semi-conscious. When she awoke she claimed her clothing was in disarray and her bras undone. Cosby settled out of court with her in 2006, but a month after that accusation a second woman, Tamara Green, accused him of the same thing. Before long, no fewer than twenty other women complained of similar incidents involving the famous comedian, but none of these complainants has been able to proceed with criminal charges even if they wanted to. In most cases the statute of limitations has expired long ago.

In November 2014, actress Janice Dickinson accused Cosby on Entertainment Tonight of assaulting her in Lake Tahoe in 1982 when she was 27. In her room he gave her wine and a pill which knocked her out. She remembered him dropping his robe and climbing on top of her. When she awoke next morning she was no longer wearing her pajamas. Former super-model Miss Dickinson has been labelled a ‘fame whore’ by some sections of the media who seem to have lost sight of just who the victim is here. What woman would possibly want to be famous for being a rape victim?

Cosby has never been charged over any of these accusations, nor has he appeared publicly to defend himself against them. He chooses instead to remain tight-lipped and let his lawyer deny them. The oldest of the accusations goes back fifty years to 1965 when 22 year-old talent agency secretary Kristina Ruehli claims Cosby drugged her at a party at his home, and then assaulted her when she came to. The use of drugs to render his victims unconscious is a common theme running through all of the accusations against the 77 year-old comedian. So far (March 2015), the following women have come forward accusing him of drugging them as a prelude to rape, assault, or forcing them to perform lewd acts:

1965 Kristina Ruehli – 22, secretary. Forced to have oral sex while drugged.

1967 Carla Ferrigno – wife of Lou Ferrigno of The Incredible Hulk TV series. Assault.

1969 Joan Tarshis – 19, comedy writer drugged and raped twice.

1969 Cindra Ladd – 21, in New York City. Drugged, awoke in bed with him.

1970 Victoria Valentino – former Playboy playmate. Drugged, forced oral sex and rape.

1971 Louisa Mortiz – actress in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Drugged, forced oral sex.

1971 Donna Motsinger – Jazz club waitress. Drugged and raped.

Early 70s Katherine McKee – Sammy Davis Junior’s mistress. Raped.

1973 Helen Hayes – Assault.

1974 Judy Huth – 15 year old, drugged and forced to masturbate him.

1975 Tamara Green – Drugged and attempted rape.

Mid 70s Therese Serignese – 19, Drugged, forced sex acts.

Mid 70s Shawn Brown – Became pregnant to him and gave birth to their daughter. The only woman (other than his wife) he admits to having slept with.

Late 70s Joyce Emmons – Drugged by Cosby, awoke in bed with a friend of his.

1979 P J Masten – Playboy bunny, says she knew a dozen Playboy girls who, like her, were drugged by him and assaulted, but too afraid to come forward.

Early 80s Linda Kirkpatrick – 25, Drugged and assaulted at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Early 80s Lynn Neal – Assaulted at the Las Vegas Hilton.

1982 Janice Dickinson – 27 year-old super model. Drugged and raped at Lake Tahoe.

1982-86 Renita Chaney Hill – 15 year-old. Raped. Then had a four-year affair with him.

Mid 80s Beth Ferrier – Consensual affair with him, but still drugged and raped.

1984 Heidi Thomas – 24, model. Drugged and forced to perform oral sex.

Mid 80s – Beverly Johnson – Super-model. Attempted assault.

1986 Barbara Bowman – Actress, drugged and raped.

1986 Lisa Jones – 17, model. Assaulted.

1986 Chelan? – Her last name not made public. 17, Drugged and assaulted.

1988 Jena T. – Prefers not to disclose her last name. 17, model. Drugged and assaulted.

1988 Lisa? – Prefers not to disclose her last name. 21, model. Drugged by him and remembers nothing after that.

Late 80s Jewel Allison – Model/actress. Assaulted.

Early 90s Kacey? – Drugged and awoke in bed with him.

1992 Angela Leslie – Forced to fondle his genitals.

1995 Michelle Hurd – Actress Law and Order: SVU. Fondled during ‘acting’ lesson.

2000 Lachelle Covington – Actress on Cosby. Put his hand under her shirt and tried to guide her hand into his pants.

2004 Andrea Constand – Temple University’s women’s basketball director. Drugged and assaulted in Cosby’s home. She filed charges against him and settled out of court.

2008 Chloe Goins – 18, Assaulted at the Playboy mansion. Hers is the only charge that falls within the statute of limitations, should she choose to go to court.
Thus far 34 women have come forward claiming they were drugged by Cosby and then sexually assaulted. Back in March 2005, Andrea Constand filed civil charges against the man and no fewer than thirteen women agreed to serve as John Doe witnesses. All were willing to testify that they had been sexually assaulted by him, but they never got the chance. Miss Constand settled out of court in November 2006 for an undisclosed sum.
There is always the possibility, however miniscule, that Cosby is innocent of all these charges. If he was, then surely it is in his best interests to publicly put the record straight. Instead, he has employed the most powerful and ruthless lawyer available to keep prosecution at bay. He dodged one bullet in 2006 by throwing money at his accuser. If Chloe Gains chooses to file as well, he will probably have his lawyer throw some at her too. He has an awful lot of it to toss about.

The saddest part of this turgid issue is that most of Hollywood has known for decades what this universally known icon was like, yet nobody did or said anything to stop him. It was common knowledge that he preyed on women, especially young, beautiful ones; that he had numerous affairs, that he cheated on his wife almost on a daily basis, and that he took sexual advantage of his iconic status in the movie and television industry. His insulation, however, was such that he did not even attempt to curb his appalling conduct or even cover his tracks. He believed he was, to all intents and purposes, untouchable, and will probably remain so for the remainder of his life. After all, he has unlimited finances and a lawyer who specializes in keeping guilty clients out of prison.

Late entry: As of 8 September 2015, over fifty women have now come forward and accused Cosby of various sexual offences.