People News

Bill Cosby settles groping lawsuit out of court

By Stone Martindale Nov 9, 2006, 3:52 GMT

America's favorite father, Bill Cosby, has settled, for undisclosed terms, a civil suit filed against him by a Canadian woman who claimed the Jello pudding pop spokesman slipped her a "Mickey Finn" and sexually assaulted her over three years ago.The accuser's attorney announced a settlement and said both parties "resolved their differences; therefore, the litigation has been dismissed pursuant to local court rule."People magazine reports that the plaintiff, "a former Temple University employee in her early 30s and a onetime acquaintance of the comic, stated in court papers that she accompanied Cosby back to his suburban Philadelphia home following a group dinner in January 2004. "There, she alleged, he gave her pills that made her feel dizzy and subsequently fondled her breasts. She did not report the alleged incident to authorities until a year later."Cosby denied any wrongdoing, saying he only gave her Benadryl after she complained of insomnia and apologized if his actions were "misinterpreted."The Canadian complaintant also said other allegations included battery, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.People reports that "12 other women stepped forward to claim that they, too, had been molested by Cosby and offered to testify on the original accuser's behalf against the entertainer."U.S. District Judge Robreno refused Cosby's request for a gag order over this case, he also denied a petition by plaintiff's attorney to shield identities of the other women who came forward to testify for privacy reasons, saying they failed to show "good cause."