Lawyer: Bill Cosby Will Not ‘Dignify’ Rape Allegations with Comment

Bill Cosby will not “dignify” his accusers with public comment, despite massive media interest in renewed sexual harassment allegations against him.

The accusations have come back into the spotlight this month after video surfaced of comedian Hannibal Buress calling his fellow comedian a “rapist” during a stand-up act. One of the accusers, Barbara Bowman, appeared on CNN and other media outlets to claim she was drugged and raped by Cosby.

In a Saturday interview with NPR’s Scott Simon, Cosby repeatedly shook his head in silence, declining to comment on the allegations. And now a public statement from his legal counsel indicates Cosby has no intention to ever speak out about the cases.

“Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced,” began the statement from lawyer John P. Schmitt. “The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work. There will be no further statement from Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives.

The statement was posted to Cosby’s website. The comedian has never faced criminal charges for any of the accusations, but in 2006, he settled a case with another woman regarding alleged incidents from two years prior.

[Image via CNN/screengrab]

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