She is known in court papers as “prior alleged victim six.”
But on Friday, the woman who has accused actor and comedian Bill Cosby of
uncharged sexual misconduct in 1996 became a central figure in Cosby’s upcoming
sexual assault trial when a judge ruled prosecutors can call her to testify
against the entertainment icon.
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| Montco Judge Steven T. O'Neill/Submitted photo |
In a one-page order, Montgomery County Judge Steven T.
O’Neill ruled prosecutors can present the testimony of “prior alleged victim
six” at Cosby’s trial on charges he allegedly sexually assaulted Andrea
Constand, a former Temple University athletic department employee, after plying
her with blue pills and wine at his home sometime between mid-January and
mid-February 2004.
So just who is “prior alleged victim six?” Here is what can
be gleaned from court papers filed by both the prosecution and defense teams:
The woman, now 55, first met the married Cosby around 1990, when
she was 29 and Cosby was 58, through her employment working as an assistant to
Cosby’s personal appearance agent, the William Morris Agency. The woman formed
what she believed to be “a sincere friendship” and believed Cosby “to be very
friendly and fatherly toward her” and Cosby even mentored her on future career
plans, District Attorney Kevin R. Steele wrote in court papers.
During the friendship, the woman accepted dinner invitations
from Cosby, on occasion even bringing her children, prosecutors said. She also
accepted invitations to Cosby’s hotel, where they would discuss future career
plans and Cosby would also call her at her home and speak to her family
members, Steele claimed in court papers.
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| Bill Cosby/Arrest Photo |
“Over the course of the relationship, never once did
defendant make any successful sexual advances toward prior victim number six,
but instead used his fame, notoriety and public status to instill trust in
her,” Steele wrote.
“However, on one occasion, defendant invited her to his home
to read a script for a possible role on a popular show airing on NBC. This was
an uncomfortable experience for her because the script ended with her giving a
passionate kiss to defendant. She expressed and showed her discomfort and
defendant made no sexual advances toward her during that time,” Steele wrote.
Sometime in 1996, still trusting Cosby, according to
prosecutors, the woman accepted his invitation to join him for lunch to discuss
career goals. Instead, Steele alleged, Cosby would administer an intoxicant and
sexually assault her.
When she arrived at Cosby’s bungalow for lunch at the
Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles, “to her surprise” Cosby was in his robe and
slippers and he informed her that they were ordering lunch to the room. No one
else was present, prosecutors claimed.
Cosby, according to prosecutors, offered the woman some red
wine, which she declined to drink and then he offered her a white pill so that
she could relax.
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| Montco DA Kevin Steele/Submitted Photo |
“He repeatedly insisted that she take the pill with the red
wine, convincing her by saying, ‘would I give you anything to hurt you?’”
Steele alleged. “After refusing more than once, prior victim number six put the
pill into her mouth. Defendant took great efforts to ensure that she ingested
the pill, demanding that she open her mouth and lift her tongue. At that
request, prior victim number six swallowed the pill.”
After ingesting the pill, the woman became incapacitated,
unable to maintain consciousness and completely unable to consent to, let alone
resist, Cosby’s unwanted sexual advances, prosecutors claimed.
“During her intermittent consciousness, she recalls being
placed in defendant’s bed, next to him, as he lay naked beneath his open robe,”
wrote Steele, alleging the woman “did not consent” to the sexual contact that
subsequently occurred and that she recalled Cosby “making grunting noises.”
Defense lawyers Brian J. McMonagle and Angela C. Agrusa
revealed in court papers that the woman, who they identify as “accuser No. 6,”
is a client of well-known celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred and they wrote the
woman “remembers some lotion and touching but has no memory of having sexual
intercourse with Mr. Cosby.”
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| Brian J. McMonagle/Photo by Carl Hessler Jr. |
Accuser No. 6 “is the only accuser who was older than Ms.
Constand at the time of her alleged incident, and the only accuser on the
Commonwealth’s list who self-identifies as African-American,” McMonagle and
Agrusa wrote in court papers.
Of the 13 alleged prior accusers who Steele wanted to
testify at Cosby’s trial, alleged prior victim six’s allegations are closest in
time (1996) to the 2004 allegations put forth by Constand.
When "prior alleged victim six" does take the stand during Cosby's trial it's likely she will have to endure an hours-long line of direct questioning and cross-examination.
Stay tuned. Cosby's trial begins June 5.
