Bill Cosby will be finally face criminal charges for sexual assault in a case from 2004 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. [People Magazine]
Bella Hadid & The Weeknd are still happening, they’re in Miami. [LaineyGossip]
John Cena holding a very tiny turtle = magic. [A Socialite Life]
I didn’t know that LeBron James is a December baby. [Dlisted]
Everyone’s talking about Making a Murderer. [Pajiba]
Yolanda Foster & Lisa Rinna are getting into it now? [Reality Tea]
Liam Payne has more chest fur than I was expecting. [OMG Blog]
Aretha Franklin sang “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman” at the Kennedy Center Honors and it gave me chills. [Jezebel]
Would you pay $400 for a seat at Olive Garden? [The Blemish]
Justin Bieber, graffiti, promotion and San Francisco. [The Hollywood Sigh]
Someone named Madison Beer is in a bikini. [Popoholic]
Naomie Harris always has great style. [Go Fug Yourself]
Mashable’s Hollywood diversity report card. [Mashable]
I am interested in what kind of evidence they have from that long ago that could get a guilty verdict. This will be quite a story. I don’t see him going to jail or being convicted but it will be interesting to see how this all unfolds.
They have his testimony from the deposition admitting he gave her pills without her knowledge.Some of the deposition wasn’t released as I recall.
Well , this is the Andrea Costand story. She is (to my knowledge) the only person who filed charges or reported the assault real time. So I believe the evidence is likely there.
@J-Who Cosby isn’t going to jail. I seriously doubt this makes it to trial.
Oh, I believe you on that one, FB! @ Colette, I didn’t realize this was the same woman he admitted giving the ludes to. Is this that same girl?
I just read a very long and detailed explanation from a lawyer (lost the link, but I will post it if I can find it again).
Short version: It will go to trial, there is enough evidence for that to happen. The best part is they will be able to put Cosby on the stand and will be in a perfect position to shred is credibility. If they are able to cast serious doubt on his credibility as a witness, and as long as his accuser’s testimony is credible, they can actually convict. Whether he will actually do time is another story.
Expect Cosby’s lawyers to fight this tooth and nail, but it will be their uphill battle.
I really really want to see a pic of him in handcuffs, being taken away.
I’m really happy to hear this…recently I ended up down some internet wormhole where people were talking about how all the Cosy allegations have been fabricated as part of a larger conspiracy to essentially “keep the black men down.” It was really disconcerting to read, as many conspiracy theories are, and to see how many people apparently believe this.
Emmitt Till and other lynchings based on false accusations in the past still loom large as cautionary tales within certain communities of color. I’m not saying Cosby isn’t a guilty sleeze bag but this saga unfolds against the backdrop of a horrible history of lynchings based on false accusations. Cosby, however cannot use this to hide what he did.
It’s a criminal trial, he does not have to testify in his own defense, and unless he is persuasive, which he has shown no signs of in interviews, I doubt his lawyer will want to put him on the stand. His own words have hurt him a lot, I think this just won’t happen. I know people want to see this, but I think it is very unlikely.
It should be interesting, as they investigated it 12 years ago and decided not to press charges, and now they are going with it. Usually cases don’t look better with time, but the times have certainly changed maybe it was just a celebrity thing back then and now they feel that is not a factor. Glad to see a case in court though that isn’t just going for money as this is a crime and should be prosecuted criminally. I know all the women have a right to sue civilly, but Gloria Allred and all of that just leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. This just seems better to me, because as I stated this is a crime and should be pursued like one.
@noway
His July deposition is fair game so that’s why the case looks better now than it did 11 years ago.
I give Gloria Allred the side eye quite a bit because I think she can be exploitative. That being said, I think uniting the victims happened in large part because of her, and that made them more powerful. There were a lot of things that contributed to the way this story played in the public sphere, but I do think she helped bring attention to the fact that there were many victims with similar experiences across decades.
He has no credibility left to shred. He’ll die as exactly what he is, a total f**king disgrace.
He justed was arraigned. Bail was set at one million, and he surrendered his passport.
No handcuffs alas. I was hoping for a real perp walk.
He’ll try to pay her off to avoid a trial. It depends how badly she wants the money and if she has a chance on winning her case. The hard evidence isn’t really there that an assault took place. His defence will rake her over the coals, saying it was consensual. Photographic evidence of bruises and DNA “might” have convicted him at the time had they been available, but it still wouldn’t have been easy to get a conviction against Mr. Jello.
Contrary to what some have heard, I really don’t think a judge will allow Cosby’s civil deposition to be used in the criminal case. If they try, I am sure Cosby’s lawyers will try and block it, and legally they have a good chance of winning that argument. I am sure the prosecution knows that and has other evidence to substantiate this case. I am curious at what that will be, or if they always felt the case was worthy of proceeding, but at the time Cosby had such a good name they thought they couldn’t get a conviction. If you think of it from a legal standpoint civil cases have very different criteria than criminal cases and to let in a defendants deposition from civil cases you are basically making a defendant take the stand, which a lot of judges have issues with. Now they can take the information from the civil case deposition and use it to find other corroborating evidence, just not his testimony. However, I read a lot of it, and I didn’t see a lot of information that could be independently corroborated without hearsay rules applying. Now they could be trying to establish a pattern, which some judges would allow, but the women didn’t prosecute so that could be an issue. This could be a landmark case on how to prosecute old sex crimes, and maybe that would be the only good thing to come out of this.
Sabrine: According to the DM, which has a long article on these developments:
“Constand then launched her civil suit against Cosby, a man she called her ‘mentor,’ in March 2005, after no criminal charges were filed against the actor. Cosby settled that suit for undisclosed terms in 2006.”
Does this mean Ms Constand has already received some sort of financial settlement in a civil suit, and if so, can she now seek further financial compensation in this criminal trial?
I wasn’t ever a Cosby fan – he always gave me the creeps. I am also fully aware that many people – rich, famous or otherwise – sometimes live secret, dark, creepy and scary lives, but I’m interested in seeing how this all unfolds.
He didn’t get the handcuffs, but he got a mug shot. That is somewhat satisfying.
I wish they could get him! Sick b@$*@#d!
Cosby. Good.
Labron James has been growing on me in my old age. Maybe we both have mellowed.
???
What is confusing you. Both were in featured in the links.
I just saw this about Cosby on CNN. They are saying that it is Cosby’s own statements in his deposition that allowed these criminal charges to be brought. This arrogant, serial abuser is finally going to be arraigned! Hooray!!!
Co-sign. Please, please let there be a conviction.
He’s 77 and this will be dragged out for years. Conviction or not, the only real justice done here is that he will know until his final days that this is his legacy and how history will remember him. I doubt he’ll see jail time.
Add to his legacy becoming checkered, a huge pile of legal expenses.
His lawyers may use every delaying tactic in the book (probably related to his age / health), yet those expenses will keep piling up.
Even if they can’t get a conviction (fingers crossed they can) I’m just glad he’s finally going to have to face even the idea of being punished for his crimes. He got away with it for decades, I hope he now has to spend time being seriously worried.
They also mentioned Andrea wasn’t the only woman who reported sexual abuse by Cosby back then. DA’s just refused to prosocute.
I guess the upcoming trial explains why Cosby is suddenly filing suits against some of the women. Too little, too late I’m thinking.
I thought the same. A last attempt at intimidation. What the women feared would happen all along, he would flip the script on them. However, times have changed, there is power in numbers, and they no longer fear him.
Finally. Took too long for a DA to show a pair and prosecute this necrophilic sexual predator. Roost in the flames Cosby.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds his penchant for unconscious “relations” to be the same as necrophilia. It is creepy. He wants a limp lifeless experience!
I think it’s related, but part of what gets him off is knowing that the victim will wake up, probably realize what happened and feel horrified and victimized and also blame herself. Because otherwise, why not just find consenting women and ask them to play dead or ask them to take drugs to knock them out and have consensual sex? It wasn’t just the unconscious or unresponsive woman he wanted. It was the power, the control, and the victim’s shame and feeling of being out of control.
I also wonder if he ever accidentally overdosed someone and killed her.
I’d bet money there is more than one death in his past.
That’s a horrifying thought and you guys are probably right. He’s already used the excuse that it was the 70s/80s and everyone was doing drugs, so how could he know for certain what drugs were already in someone’s system when he slipped one into their drink? It’s awful on so many levels.
Mrs Odie, your last sentence… It is a truly scary thought. I sincerely hope nothing of the sort happened, but frankly, wouldn’t be surprised, either. He’s a despicable specimen.
He’ll have to spend a lot of money and time fighting this, so, good. Finally.
this is EXCELLENT!, close enough to call it a good Day In 2015
Re: Cosby. About time.
+1. I was gonna say the same thing about this creature.
Happy New Year!
Is this the case that Cosby settled out of court and gave her a lot of money?
The woman in question went to the police and after an investigation they declined to press charges. (It is very difficult to prosecute these types of cases and his status as a beloved celebrity would have been a major obstacle for the prosecution). She then filed a civil suit. The deposition that was recently unsealed (containing many damaging admissions by Mr. Crosby) was taken for the case. Mr. Crosby settled that case prior to it going to trial by paying Ms. Costand an undisclosed amount of money. Civil suits are VERY costly and stressful. She may have felt at the time that a settlement was the only justice she could receive and wished to get on with her life. I can’t say I blame her. First she was victimized by a very powerful man and then she was faced with a very daunting legal process.
I’m glad that there may be some justice after all. Very sad to see such a beloved figure go down, but what he did was so gross and he did it to so many. If I were a victim of his, I would want to see him charged in court.
The arc of history, bending toward justice….
Yeah! About time. Sadly, charges don’t mean a conviction. Money talks and he has a lot. Hopefully his victims will finally see justice.
I know most comments on this thread will concern the Cosby news, but I just have to say Naomie Harris is so beautiful and so good in everything she does. I love watching her.
It is about time!
I am horrified by the amount of people who still believe Cosby is innocent and these women are all lying for money……when no one has asked for any money!
I suggest you don’t read the comments on DM, then, clarencebeeks. Many are utterly despicable.
It’s pretty terrible over at TMZ too. Mind boggling!
TMZ comments usually are pretty terrible. Before the site owner decided he was a TV star rather than a lawyer and a journalist, the site was actually pretty interesting and informative about legal cases. High school interns seem to have taken over the writing, and there is seldom any intelligent conversation going on in the comments also. That wasn’t always the case.
He may not be outright convicted and jailed on this count, but hopefully the prosecution will get to put him on the stand, and then all the creepy lies will be exposed. He will have to tell the unvarnished truth on pain of perjury, and his foul behaviour will finally be exposed to the light. That is if they can actually get him to testify, he may take the miserable coward route, and plead the fifth. Whatever happens, hopefully for his myriad victims, this will be the thin end of the wedge, and he will be completely villified, and erased from entertainment history.
He doesn’t have to testify and most likely won’t.
Right. No way he takes the stand in a trial. He has the right to not incriminate himself and can refuse on those grounds.
I’m curious – in England, there is something called “similar fact” evidence, which means that you can have other victims provide corroborating evidence even if they aren’t themselves able, for whatever reason, to pursue a conviction on those facts. Can those women who can’t secure any justice for their own case supply evidence of an identifiable modus operandi also used against them, to ensure someone else does? Is that possible in the USA?
No, we regard that as heresay. If it’s a he said/she said case, it will most likely not be brought to trail as there is no physical evidence.
It’s not really like hearsay, J-Who. More like allowing evidence of bad character, but more specific. Similar fact can only be used under certain circumstances. The Wiki article isn’t that good, but it’s got the bare bones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Similar_fact_evidence. But it isn’t allowed in the US.
Apparently his own cofession of drugging women for sex is making a trial possible.
I don’t think it’s hearsay, because the victims are providing direct testimony of their own experiences and not something someone else has told them?
The idea is that most sex attackers tend to be serial criminals, and while you can’t know beyond a reasonable doubt if one woman’s version is true in all cases, if you have six women who don’t know one another yet all relate similar experiences at the hands of a guy, then that’s fairly compelling evidence. Even if the accused has previously been acquitted, in fact, if there are enough similarities and there’s no chance the victims compared notes prior.
It has issues in terms of potential for collusion, I agree, but it seems fairer to allow a judge to assess that before allowing the testimony, than to block it out of hand.
I don’t think this case will make it as far as a trial, but, this case with Andrea Costand against Bill Cosby may open the doors to other criminal charges from other cases being filed.
Olive Gardens chicken gnocchi soup is pretty good but nowhere near $400, good.
I like their braised beef and tortelloni, myself 🙂
The statue of limitations have expired for all the other victims who have come forward except for the victim from 2008 who claims she was assaulted at Playboy mansion.
Now if any city PD could apply the same to all the overrated female ‘artists’ in music (i.e. Taylor Swift, Cyrus including her mother for not (never mind), Demi LaOverrated, Adele, Arianna Something, etc etc), justice will be served for us all!
I know the list is just as long for male ones, but I’m really disappointed in women in music today.
Oh well, at least Cosby will get served … finally.
What on earth is this in reference to? Are you seriously comparing a serial rapist to “women who make pop music that’s generic and not very good”? JFC.
I had a WTF? moment too.
But after checking the links, I think La La Land was just responding to the SanFran/Bieber/graffiti thing, and mentioned Cosby as a totally unrelated aside.
Yes!!
Good finally Cosby will (hopefully) see his day in court. I was at the doctor’s office when the press conference interrupted regular programing and they indicated this incident is within the statue of limitations (many of the other accusers came forward decades later) AND this was also a case that was filed originally by the accuser in 2004. Glad to see the DA finally get off their ass and do something!! Time for Cosby to be put away in prison and left to rot there for all the horrible abuses he has perpetrated against innocent women over the years. My how the mighty have fallen!
He is playing the feeble card. Uses a cane and has a person on each arm, supporting him as he makes his way to court. Yet a month ago, he and his wife were out and about with no assistance in NYC.
Cosby’s signature move over the decades has been to buy the women’s silence, pay them off. He can’t do that now. It’ll be interesting to see how this trial turns out. Honestly, I wish the case was brought on behalf of one of the other women, and not Costand. Her case has serious problems with it, which may be why the prosecutor declined at the time. The fact she signed an agreement that may have included a cash payout is very VERY problematic. It’s why Cosby has gotten away with serial rapes for so long! In addition, the physical evidence is weak, and the way the rape played out, he offered a drink and pills which she wanted — I think it will be very difficult to prove beyond reasonable doubt that sex was not consensual. But we’ll see.
Also, even though I feel he is guilty, the manner in which he was outted is going to make it very VERY difficult to get a fair trial. Something to which we are entitled, even if it’s often bull. That’s the problem with villifying someone in the press. No case was built, this all media driven. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a mistrial.
Ah! According to her complaint against Cosby’s attorney and the National Enquirer, Constand never accepted money from Cosby, although he offered, twice
http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/archives/constand_singer.pdf
frosty: wha? really? I didn’t know this… I thought Constand settled (and settling means money – I thought) I’ve been on my toes following all of it and I truly thought there was a pay-off here. Thx for the link. Im gonna read it asap.
ok did Constandt ever sue Cosby?? or did she just sue his attorney & the Enquirer regarding defamation!???
I was very surprised by that too stinky, thought for sure an agreement included money. But nope, just an apology it seems. Interesting that it included her mother. These facts can only help her I think
” I think it will be very difficult to prove beyond reasonable doubt that sex was not consensual.”
The victim is a lesbian who was in a relationship with a woman at the time. I don’t think it would be hard to show that it wasn’t consensual. Also, if someone offers you aspirin and gives you a roofie or Quaalude instead, you did not consent to the roofie. You wanted and consented to the aspirin.
Because lesbian women aren’t attracted to the male sex organs?
Typically, Lesbian women are not attracted to male sex parts. That’s part of what makes them Lesbians.
I know, I was just picturing ways the defense will try to undermine Constand. Today the frontpage of a news paper just had Cosby pic against a background reading “he said, she said” repeated about a bajillion times.
$1 million dollar bail. Pisses my off he can afford it.
Does anyone besides me believe he may just will himself to die at this point? Total heat is on him now; his legacy is completely gone. He’ll be a pariah in most circles.
What gets me just as irate is his wife. There’s no way she had no idea he went beyond just having affairs with consenting women IMO. Didn’t one testify that he tried to force himself on her when his wife was only yards away? Some women will give they scruples/ lives away just to be Mrs .Famous
I think it is possible that Cosby’s wife didn’t know any of this. This is part of how he got away with it for so long. She and others may have suspected something but probably didn’t dig further because that wasn’t the man they knew. Read the complaints many of the women went back to him after they thought something happened, he was obviously very good at getting the women to succumb to his charms why would you think he couldn’t make his wife do it too. I get a bit upset when others try to bring other people into this, because HE alone did this. The problem is if others ignored it, you are not too far from saying why didn’t the women press charges before the statute of limitations ran out, and if only one did this perhaps it would have ended decades ago. Still He alone is the one who did this and should be punished.
Yay for the criminal charges against Cosby.
Boo for anything Olive Garden related, as any time I’ve eaten there, I’ve had stomach issues afterwards!
Has anyone watched that Making a Murderer?
I haven’t watched it but i’s on my list. I just binged my way through the podcast Serial and my head is still spinning. I’ve heard they’re sort of similar.
I happened to see Cosby on CNN yesterday. He’s now playing the old, feeble and frail card. He sports a cane and was held up by 2 of his lawyers/enablers. A total psycho and this is more evidence.
Months before the Hannibal news broke I saw Cosby stand up. He is feeble. He was mumbling, stumbling, and drifting off point of jokes. From my personal observations on an environment where things were positive for him he acted the same way.