Sex Abuse Litigation

All major cases

Bill Cosby

Allegations spanning decades, the 2018 conviction and its 2021 reversal, and the civil suits that continued afterward.

31 developments, 2005–2026, oldest first.

2005

  1. Former Temple employee files civil suit accusing Bill Cosby of drugging and assault

    Andrea Constand, a former Temple University women's basketball staffer, filed a federal civil lawsuit alleging Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004, after prosecutors declined to bring charges. Cosby denied the allegations.

    Lawsuit filed Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by ABC News

2014

  1. Actress Barbara Bowman publicly accuses Cosby, asks why earlier claims were ignored

    Actress Barbara Bowman wrote a Washington Post op-ed alleging Cosby assaulted her in the 1980s, helping spark a new wave of public accusations. Cosby's representatives denied the claims.

    Allegation NBCUnited States, CaliforniaReported by Salon

  2. NBC scraps planned Cosby sitcom and TV Land pulls reruns amid mounting allegations

    NBC dropped a family comedy it had been developing with Cosby and TV Land removed The Cosby Show reruns as more women came forward with allegations; Netflix also postponed a planned Cosby special.

    Policy change NBCUnited States, New YorkReported by NBC News

  3. Bill Cosby resigns from Temple University board of trustees

    Cosby stepped down from Temple University's board of trustees, where he had served for decades, as sexual assault allegations against him multiplied.

    Policy change Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by PBS NewsHour

2015

  1. Unsealed 2005 deposition shows Cosby admitted obtaining Quaaludes to give women

    A federal judge unsealed portions of Cosby's deposition from the Constand civil case, in which he acknowledged obtaining sedatives to give to women he wanted to have sex with.

    Investigation Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Christian Science Monitor

  2. New York magazine cover story gathers 35 women accusing Cosby

    New York magazine published a cover story featuring 35 women who accuse Cosby of sexual assault, describing their experiences and the silence that followed. Cosby denied wrongdoing.

    Allegation NBCUnited States, New YorkReported by theGrio

  3. Prosecutor whose campaign focused on Cosby case wins Montgomery County DA race

    Kevin Steele defeated former DA Bruce Castor, who had declined to charge Cosby in 2005, in a race where the Cosby case became a central campaign issue.

    Investigation Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by The Daily Record (AP)

  4. Bill Cosby charged with felony aggravated indecent assault in 2004 Constand case

    Montgomery County prosecutors charged Cosby with aggravated indecent assault over the 2004 encounter with former Temple employee Andrea Constand, days before the statute of limitations was set to expire.

    Criminal charges Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by WGBH (NPR)

2016

  1. Judge refuses to dismiss Cosby case, rejecting claim of former DA's non-prosecution promise

    A Montgomery County judge ruled the sexual assault charge against Cosby could proceed, rejecting his argument that former DA Bruce Castor had promised in 2005 he would never be prosecuted. That promise later became the basis for the 2021 ruling overturning his conviction.

    Criminal charges Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by NPR

  2. Judge orders Cosby to stand trial after preliminary hearing

    A district judge found enough evidence for Cosby's sexual assault case to proceed to trial on three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault.

    Criminal charges Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Complex

2017

  1. Cosby trial ends in mistrial after jury deadlocks

    A judge declared a mistrial in Cosby's first criminal trial after jurors deadlocked following six days of deliberations; prosecutors said they would retry the case.

    Verdict Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by CNBC

2018

  1. Judge allows five additional accusers to testify at Cosby retrial

    The trial judge ruled that five other women could testify about alleged prior misconduct at Cosby's retrial, a significant expansion from the single additional accuser allowed in the first trial.

    Criminal charges Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by CNN

  2. Prosecutors disclose Cosby paid Constand nearly $3.4 million in 2006 civil settlement

    During opening statements at the retrial, prosecutors revealed that Cosby paid about $3.38 million to settle Constand's civil lawsuit in 2006.

    Settlement Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Chicago Sun-Times (AP)

  3. Bill Cosby convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault at retrial

    A jury in Norristown, Pennsylvania, found Cosby guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004, making him the first celebrity convicted in the #MeToo era.

    Conviction Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Boston.com (AP)

  4. Temple University rescinds Bill Cosby's honorary degree after conviction

    Temple's board voted to revoke the honorary degree it awarded Cosby, joining numerous other colleges that withdrew honors after his conviction.

    Policy change Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Philadelphia Magazine

  5. Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison, labeled sexually violent predator

    A Montgomery County judge sentenced Cosby to three to 10 years in state prison and designated him a sexually violent predator; he was taken into custody immediately.

    Conviction Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by NPR

2019

  1. Cosby's insurer settles Massachusetts defamation suit brought by seven accusers

    Insurer AIG agreed to settle a federal defamation suit in Springfield, Massachusetts, by seven women who said Cosby's representatives branded them liars; Cosby said the deal was made without his consent and kept pursuing counterclaims.

    Settlement NBCUnited States, MassachusettsReported by NBC New York

  2. Cosby drops counterclaims, ending four-year Massachusetts defamation case

    Court filings ended the Massachusetts defamation litigation after Cosby abandoned his counterclaims against the seven women, following his insurer's settlement with them the previous month.

    Settlement NBCUnited States, MassachusettsReported by KOAA

  3. Cosby's insurer settles Janice Dickinson defamation suit over his denials

    Cosby's insurer, AIG, settled a defamation lawsuit brought by model Janice Dickinson over statements his representatives made dismissing her rape allegation; Cosby's camp objected to the settlement.

    Settlement NBCUnited States, CaliforniaReported by Honolulu Star-Advertiser (AP)

  4. Pennsylvania Superior Court upholds Cosby conviction

    A state appeals panel rejected Cosby's challenges, including to the testimony of other accusers and the prosecution's handling of a former DA's non-prosecution promise.

    Verdict Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Philadelphia Inquirer

2020

  1. Cosby asks Pennsylvania Supreme Court to review his conviction

    Cosby's lawyers petitioned the state's highest court to overturn his conviction after losing in the Superior Court; the court later agreed to hear the appeal.

    Verdict Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by IOL (Reuters)

2021

  1. Parole board denies Cosby release after he refuses sex offender treatment

    The Pennsylvania parole board denied Cosby parole, citing his refusal to take part in a required sex offender treatment program.

    Conviction Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Spokesman-Review (AP)

  2. Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturns Cosby conviction; he is freed from prison

    The state Supreme Court vacated Cosby's conviction, ruling that a former district attorney's earlier promise not to prosecute should have barred the charges, and released him after nearly three years in prison. The ruling did not find him innocent.

    Verdict Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by Philadelphia Inquirer

  3. Former Cosby Show actress Lili Bernard sues Cosby in New Jersey

    Actress Lili Bernard, who appeared on The Cosby Show, filed a civil suit alleging Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1990, using a New Jersey law that extended filing deadlines. Cosby denied the allegations.

    Lawsuit filed NBCUnited States, New JerseyReported by theGrio

2022

  1. U.S. Supreme Court declines to review ruling that freed Cosby

    The Supreme Court turned down Montgomery County prosecutors' request to reinstate Cosby's conviction, ending the criminal case.

    Verdict Temple UniversityUnited States, PennsylvaniaReported by UPI

  2. Civil jury finds Cosby sexually abused a teenager at Playboy Mansion in 1975

    A Santa Monica jury found Cosby liable for sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl in 1975 and awarded her $500,000 in damages. Cosby, who denied the claim, did not attend the trial.

    Verdict NBCUnited States, CaliforniaReported by News4Jax (AP)

  3. Five women sue Cosby and NBCUniversal under New York Adult Survivors Act

    Five women, including former Cosby Show actresses Lili Bernard and Eden Tirl, sued Cosby for assault and named NBCUniversal and two production companies as defendants on negligence claims under New York's one-year lookback window. Cosby's spokesman called the suit frivolous.

    Lawsuit filed NBCUnited States, New YorkReported by KTVZ (CNN)

2023

  1. Nine more women sue Cosby in Nevada under new law lifting time limits

    Nine women filed a federal lawsuit in Las Vegas alleging Cosby drugged and assaulted them decades ago, after Nevada eliminated the statute of limitations for such civil claims. Cosby's spokesman denied the allegations.

    Lawsuit filed NBCUnited States, NevadaReported by Click2Houston (AP)

2026

  1. Jury finds Cosby sexually assaulted woman in 1972, awards nearly $60 million

    A Santa Monica civil jury found Cosby liable for drugging and assaulting a former restaurant worker in 1972, awarding $19.25 million in compensatory damages and $40 million in punitive damages.

    Verdict NBCUnited States, CaliforniaReported by ABC13 (AP)

  2. Cosby seeks new trial, calls $40 million punitive award excessive

    Cosby's lawyers moved for a new trial in the 1972 assault case, arguing the punitive damages were excessive and that the judge wrongly excluded certain evidence.

    Verdict NBCUnited States, CaliforniaReported by Baller Alert

  3. Judge denies Cosby a new trial, upholding $59 million verdict

    A Los Angeles County judge rejected Cosby's bid for a new trial, leaving the roughly $59 million civil judgment in place.

    Verdict NBCUnited States, CaliforniaReported by KFI AM 640