|
Accuser Comes Forward In Bill Cosby Sex Abuse Case
Accuser Comes Forward In Bill Cosby Sex Abuse Case
(CBS) PHILADELPHIA Lawyers for Bill Cosby have settled a lawsuit with a woman accusing him of sexual assault.
The woman says Cosby assaulted her at his Cheltenham home in 2004. The woman previously worked at Temple University.
Her name is being withheld because of the nature of the allegation and terms of the settlement will remain confidential.
One of the potential key witnesses in that case was a woman who has similar allegations.
She came forward -- one of 13 women to do so -- and told her story to authorities in Montgomery County last year.
And now, for the first time, Barbara Bowman is speaking out publicly, to KYW in Philadelphia. Bowman says she hopes her courage, inspires others to come forward as well.
What's the one word you would use to describe him? "Predator," said Bowman.
He is an American icon but to Barbara Bowman, the comedic star named Bill Cosby is nothing like he seems.
"I was very intimidated, I was afraid of him," said Bowman.
It was the mid-80's, he was at the height of his career - The Cosby Show - a sitcom sensation.
After a few years of acting and modeling, Bowman says her agent introduced her to Cosby.
She was 17.
"Apparently he would come into town periodically and meet girls she thought had potential," explained Bowman, adding, "And he was the mentor and ya know the groomer."
An only child from a broken home, she says Cosby took her under his wing. Bowman stood convinced he could help her career.
"I was told by my agent that this was a very special opportunity," said Bowman.
He flew her around the country, she says, introducing her to the who's who of show business.
Adding that those public events on some occasions led to inappropriate private moments.
"I was forced to ummmm touch him, I never told anybody about that," said Bowman.
But she did nothing - she admits - because of something she'd been told.
"It was told to me on many different occasions that I need to be discreet, that my dealings with Mr. Cosby
if not, I could jeopardize his reputation and mine," explained Bowman.
At 18 and naïve, she moved to New York where Bowman says things took an even more sordid turn.
"He had invited me over for dinner and gave me a glass of wine, I just remember feeling sick and waking up from this daze just sick and nauseous and confused and in and out."
"I was in the bathroom and I was throwing up and he was holding my hair back. And I'm wearing this t-shirt that wasn't mine and he had a robe on," said Bowman.
What were you thinking at this point asked CBS 3's Alycia Lane.
"I was clueless, ummm my guts were telling me something wasn't right," added Bowman.
"And I got dressed and went home, never mentioned to anybody; I thought 'who would believe this?"
Lane: Do you suspect or believe that you were drugged?
Bowman: I feel very confident that that's exactly what happened.
Lane: Do you think there's a chance he raped you?
Bowman: I feel very confident that I was violated in that way.
And looking back, an innocent comment from a famous comic took on new meaning.
"He would say to me
"you're not gonna fight me this time, are you?" and I would think, "this time?" was there a last time?" said Bowman.
Bowman says the next incident she recalls happened about two months later in Atlantic City - where Cosby was performing.
"I had a room on a separate floor
but I went up to the suite to visit... And there were people milling about as usual and before you know it
there's no people around," said Bowman, adding, "I had had a glass of wine."
In hindsight, again, she suspects she was drugged.
"The way I felt was way off
I felt dizzy nauseous, out of control, couldn't think straight," explained Bowman.
She says she tried to use the phone to call the concierge.
"He started to panic that I was making myself known to the hotel, he was getting very angry and I started getting afraid and I have no recollection after that point and I remember waking up the next day in my room and I was called to his room and I was berated for my behavior the night before," said Bowman.
"He threw me down on the bed
and he put his forearm under my neck
he tried to dis-robe himself
and I remember him fiddling around with his belt buckle and trying to take off my clothes and I was yelling and begging him to stop and he just threw me aside and called me a baby," explained Bowman.
Days later, Bowman says Cosby cut her off.
"He said I had better never see your face or hear your name again," said Bowman.
After confiding in a friend, she saw an attorney.
"He laughed me right out of the office
and I thought oh well, let this go because I was told no one would believe me. Dr. Huxtable? Oh my, my. He's everyone's father figure," added Bowman.
Lane: It's been 20 years why come forward now?
Bowman: It was too much for me to handle then and now it's not. I don't want to sit in silence anymore.
Lane: What do you think is the biggest thing you lost?
Bowman: My innocence. I really put my trust in him; he told me I could trust him.
Lane: If you could look Bill Cosby in the face, what would you say to him?
Bowman: Shame on you, shame on you.
We had a lot of questions for Bill Cosby but a spokesman for the 69-year-old celebrity would only say -- quote -- "The story is absolutely not true."
As for Bowman, her statute of limitations has run-out, so she cannot take her case to court.
Submitted by Pasadena Phil
|
|
|
Email This to a Friend
