Bill Cosby sued by woman for alleged 1986 rape in Elvis Suite of Las Vegas Hilton
The victim claims the sexual assault happened in 1986, when she was 17
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A woman has come forward with fresh allegations of sexual assault against disgraced comedian Bill Cosby.
Cosby’s alleged victim filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming that he gave her a blue capsule and alcohol before he proceeded to sexually assault her at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1986, KUTV reports.
The woman, who was 17 at the time of the alleged abuse, said that Cosby had promised to help her modelling career and had brought her to the Hilton’s Elvis Presley Suite under the guise that a photographer wanted to do a photoshoot with her.
The woman has sued Cosby for exploitation of a minor, assault and false imprisonment, among other allegations.
According to the court filings, Cosby first saw a picture of the then-15-year-old victim on her stepmother’s desk while he and the adult woman worked at the same company. Cosby reportedly asked about the victim and learned that she wanted to pursue a career in acting and modelling.
Over the next two years, Cosby allegedly established a relationship with the victim’s family and earned their trust. Then in October 1986, he invited the victim to the Hilton and a photographer took headshots of her.
After the photoshoot was finished, the woman claimed that Cosby gave her a blue pill supposedly for her sinus issues and a glass of Amaretto. The woman said she was later taken to a private room and awoke hours later after the alleged sexual assault had taken place.
The victim claims that when she regained consciousness, she found her clothes on a dresser and a stack of $100 bills. Mr Cosby reportedly walked her out of the hotel room and called her days later to check how she was coping. According to the lawsuit, Cosby went on to threaten the victim, telling her that she could be “quieted”.
The case marks the latest in a string of lawsuits filed against Cosby under the Adult Survivors Act – which gave victims of sexual abuse a one-year window for claims that would otherwise be barred by time limits.
He has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment by more than 60 women. He has denied all allegations involving sex crimes.
Cosby was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era and spent nearly three years at a state prison near Philadelphia before a higher court overturned the conviction and released him in 2021.