Bill Cosby is suing the woman whose rape accusations against him have resulted in a criminal proceeding. Cosby is reportedly filing a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Andrea Constandt, who accused him of sexually molesting her in 2005.
Cosby included Constandt, her mother, two of her lawyers, and the publisher of the National Enquirer in a lawsuit he filed a day before the hearing. The hearing that took place in Montgomery County court tackled whether the criminal case against Cosby could go forward. Judge Steven T. O’Neill ruled that the case could now proceed.
Bill Cosby sues Andrea Constand, lawyers for allegedly breaching 2006 settlement. https://t.co/stMeFvOf4c pic.twitter.com/Zk7cQuZIgu
— Philly.com (@phillydotcom) February 18, 2016
During the hearing, Constandt’s lawyer Dolores Troiani mentioned that Cosby’s camp had sued her but did not offer any details. A law professor at Villanova University sees the filing of the suit as a clear attempt of Cosby’s camp to buy time.
The lawsuit was reportedly under seal on Wednesday, and lawyers of the 78-year-old comedian declined to give further details about it.
BREAKING: A federal judge has ordered the docket unsealed in a lawsuit filed by Bill Cosby against Andrea Constand. pic.twitter.com/N5IfeTvsc4
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) February 18, 2016
According to cbc.ca, the defendants are under confidentiality clauses that covered the settlement of lawsuits that the alleged victim filed against the comedian and the American Media Inc. in 2005.
Andrea Constandt, a former Temple University employee, sought help from authorities in 2004 due to allegations that Bill Cosby drugged and molested her in his Philadelphia home in 2004. In 2006, a settlement was reached.
Her case was reopened after several other women came forward claiming they were sexually assaulted by the veteran comedian. Bill Cosby was arrested in December, just before the 12-year statute of limitations ended. The Statute of limitations in most cases filed by other alleged rape victims have already expired so they were not able to prosecute Cosby.
Bill Cosby is scheduled for a pretrial hearing in March 8, and he could possibly face up to years ten years imprisonment.