Woman who accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault files defamation suit

A woman who has accused entertainer Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her in the 1970s has filed a defamation suit claiming that Cosby “publicly branded” her as a liar through statements made by his attorney and publicist.

A report by KNBC Channel 4 said that Tamara Green filed the defamation suit in federal court in Springfield, Mass., on Wednesday over responses to her accusation that Cosby drugged and assaulted her when she was an aspiring actress.

Green first made the accusations of sexual assault in 2005, the KNBC report said. After she gave interviews, Cosby’s publicist and lawyer made statements intended to expose her to public ridicule and contempt, the KNBC report said, citing the claims in Wednesday’s lawsuit.

The lawsuit reiterates Green’s allegations that the performer invited her to lunch when she wasn’t feeling well and gave her pills that he claimed were cold medicine. She says in the filing that she started to feel woozy and that Cosby took her to his apartment, where he assaulted her.

Cosby’s attorney Martin D. Singer said in a statement responding to the defamation suit: “We are very confident that we will prevail in this proceeding and we will pursue claims against the attorneys who filed this action.”