Summary: Janice Dickinson’s lawsuit against Bill Cosby has been allowed to move forward.
On Thursday, a California judge ruled that Janice Dickinson’s civil lawsuit against Bill Cosby could move forward. The model claimed that the comedian had raped her decades ago, and she is suing him for defamation because he publicly stated that she had lied about the incident.
Cosby had previously filed an appeal after a judge ruled in favor of Dickinson’s request for trial; but on Thursday, the California Supreme Court refused to review it, according to Fox News.
Dickinson said that in 1982 Cosby had drugged and raped her in Lake Tahoe, and she had come forward with the allegation in 2014. She sued him after he and his team denied her story in the press.
Cosby’s team said that Dickinson’s lawsuit violated Cosby’s right to free speech under the First Amendment, and they had asked a judge to throw out her lawsuit.
Last November, a judge ruled that Dickinson’s case could move forward and that she was allowed to list Cosby’s former attorney, Marty Singer, as a defendant. Cosby’s team had filed an appeal of this decision, but this week, the California Supreme Court refused to review their argument.
This means that Dickinson is allowed to sue not only Cosby, but his former representation as well. Cosby’s current defense team said that this could hurt the relationship between an attorney and client in the future.
“While we believe the Supreme Court should have reviewed the erroneous appellate court opinion, we now have the opportunity to address these claims on the merits and fully expect that Mr. Singer will be dismissed from the lawsuit again,” Jeremy B. Rosen, Singer’s attorney, said in an email to KXRA.
Dickinson is represented by attorney, Lisa Bloom, who said that her client wants a trial by jury.
“We have been fighting this case for three years and we will continue fighting until we get Mr. Cosby’s deposition, until Ms. Dickinson gets a trial before a jury, and on any further appeals as necessary,” Bloom said to KXRA. “Ms. Dickinson is strong and I am committed to this case.”
Dickinson modeled in the 1980s and 1990s, and she most recently has become a reality star thanks to appearances on “America’s Next Top Model,” ”The Surreal Life,” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
Cosby was the star of the acclaimed television show “The Cosby Show,” but his career has hit a nosedive after dozens of women have accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting them. He is facing a criminal trial for rape in Pennsylvania later this year.
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