Former model, Leslie Moonves, has filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby for sexually assaulting her in 1969 when she was just 19 years old. Moonves is the latest accuser to come forward in the wave of allegations against Cosby that began in 2014.
According to the lawsuit, Moonves met Cosby through her job as a Playboy Bunny at the Los Angeles Playboy Club in 1969. Cosby offered to mentor her in her career, and Moonves agreed to meet with him for dinner. After dinner, Cosby invited Moonves back to his house to continue their conversation, but instead he served her several alcoholic drinks. The lawsuit alleges that Cosby then led Moonves to a bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her.
Moonves kept the assault a secret for decades, but she has now been emboldened to come forward in the wake of similar allegations against Cosby.
“Iv’e been carrying this around for too long,” Moonves said in a statement. “I want to hold Bill Cosby accountable for what he did to me. I want justice not just for myself, but for all the women who have been victimized by him.”
Cosby’s legal team has yet to comment on the lawsuit, but the comedian has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual assault against him.
Moonves’ lawsuit comes just weeks after a mistrial was declared in Cosby’s criminal trial for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. The jury failed to reach a unanimous decision on any of the three counts against Cosby, but prosecutors have vowed to retry the case.
The accusations against Cosby have been a high-profile part of the national conversation over sexual assault, with many women coming forward to share their own stories of abuse and harassment. Cosby’s fall from grace has been swift and complete, with his career in ruins and his once-beloved public persona now thoroughly tarnished.
